Why shouldn't I load up on Duke -3?

[soxwin]

Who has the right opinion on this game?? The public(or/and sharps) who pounded Duke on Sunday night, probably due to Injury situation. Or did the books set the right line knowing the injury isn't serious and WVU will be right there at the end.

I think that WVU can hang w/Duke because they rebound too well to let Duke get 2nd and 3rd chances like Baylor did.

[floridagolfer]

Weren't they like an 8 point dog? You think oddsmakers were that far off? Kentucky is the better team but played one of their worst games of the season.

This is why they play the games on a court and they're not decided by pointspreads. Some days you have it, some days you don't, and on Saturday, Kentucky was nothing more than mediocre on several counts. (You can harp all you want about three-point shooting, but Kentucky also was under .500 at the free-throw line, wasn't it?) There was nothing flukish about WVU's win.

And so to answer to the original post, maybe you shouldn't jump all over Duke because WVU is capable of winning the game. I'm not saying it will, but I don't think you can handicap this game and see an obvious choice one way or the other.

[LT Profits]

This game is too tough to call... probably just watch!

So in a perceived 50/50 toss-up, why not take the +140 (maybe more) dog?

[jasonw]

has duke beaten a decent team all season? even if you think they have, compare it the WV's scheduling. Let people load up on duke.
they can't beat a great team like WV..

[KC]

So in a perceived 50/50 toss-up, why not take the +140 (maybe more) dog?

Right LT

[Wade Dwayne]

WV are a really good team and should have had that last no.1. Duke a nothing much and will lose big snaps.

[tatommack]

I like wvu in this game

[FreeFall]

I think the question should be "Why shouldn't I load up on West Virginia on the ML with the number now at +140 and rising?"

I see duke winning this 65% of the time. BOL

[TheAccountant]

I don't believe either of these teams winning in the Elite 8 were flukes, and that makes it all the harder to cap here.

If you had to compare, it looked like WVU just out played UK, and Duke was the team that needed a string of magic to win. I don't think either win was a fluke though.

I like the logic of betting +140 on the coin flip, but this may be a no play. I think Dukes will be getting some calls, especially down the stretch.

[pirate]

The reason you shouldn't load up on Duke minus 3 is because they are currently minus 2 and a half.

[LT Profits]

I see duke winning this 65% of the time. BOL

UGH! I'm not even convinced that Duke should be favored, should be Pick at the very least. My unbiased line is West Virginia -1.5, so even adjusting for Duke popularity, I don't think Duke should be more than -1.5.

[coloradobuff]

dont know about unloading..just imagine duke up 5 late and wvu hits "meaningless" 3?

[LVBOUND]

Well I have been wrong about almost every big NCAA game since the Sweet 16, so if it means anything to you I think DUKE all the way. so you might need to do the Costanza and do the Opposite.

Matt

[wallyjones2009]

i like wvu

[FUpv]

WV could have pulled off one of the flukiest wins in history when they beat Kentucky. WV only making 3 pointers in the first half and Kentucky missing about 25 3 pointers in the game. Neither of those things will happen for sometime. Meanwhile, Duke beats Baylor even though Singler doesn't score a field goal for the first time in his college career. I like Duke here to cover but I'd like to hear some other thoughts before playing it.

Bet DUKE heavy and don't even think about it! This is the easiest $$ you'll ever make!

Duke -2.5 is the GAME OF THE Millennium!

[2daBank]

Bet DUKE heavy and don't even think about it! This is the easiest $$ you'll ever make!

Duke -2.5 is the GAME OF THE Millennium!

this would be the best reason i can give you not to do it....this idiot already called UK the lock of the century

[ericthegangster]

because youre a broke degenerate.

[THE PROFIT]

because you can get it -2.5

[LT Profits]

because you can get it -2.5

But it won't matter when West Virginia wins straight up!

[WileOut]

because WV will not play zone against Duke like a team coached by a fool....ahem Baylor. Duke won't get 50 second chances and hit 3's on all of them.

Huggins knows what he is doing unlike Baylors idiot.

The last team in the NCAA that you play zone against is Duke. I understand that was Baylor's standard defense but once Duke started crashing the boards the change needed to be made during the game.

[gshock1]

But it won't matter when West Virginia wins straight up!

Hey LT, I have WVU (+8.5) and Butler (+4.5) in a teaser. I really respect your opinion thus wanted to get your thoughts.

I just can't see Duke winning, yet alone beating WV by more than 9.

Butler and MSU I feel will come down to the buzzer. Was going to tease MS, but I can see Butler beating them by 8+ (potentially).

Its one of my biggest bets of the year.

[WileOut]

gshock LT knows what he is talking about.

But let me give you some advice too. NEVER tease basketball. Only football across key numbers and getting a good price.

[Darrellp32]

Man this one has me all confused. As well as the butler/mich st game. Might save my pennies for national championship game

[LT Profits]

Hey LT, I have WVU (+8.5) and Butler (+4.5) in a teaser. I really respect your opinion thus wanted to get your thoughts.

I just can't see Duke winning, yet alone beating WV by more than 9.

Butler and MSU I feel will come down to the buzzer. Was going to tease MS, but I can see Butler beating them by 8+ (potentially).

Its one of my biggest bets of the year.

Not worth teasing, both will cover without the tease.

[Chi_archie]

game is a mystery to me

[seaborneq]

GTown drubbed these same Dookies about 6 weeks ago. I don't see how Duke can be giving up points. I am not sure I would take Duke getting +3. WVU will rough up the Dookies. Remember when Joe Alexander and crew did it to them a few years ago, Nova last year. Easiest play this weekend is WVU and the over, unless another WVU manhandling is in order, and in that case Duke won't score more than 55 points.

[mav2112]

Huggie Bear knew Kentucky's weakness was the outside shot......( anyone who watched Kentucky this year knew that they couldnt shoot from outside)........so logically you want to sag on the inside guy (Cousins) and let them try to shoot threes or outside shots until they prove they cany make those shots on a consistant basis.

Playing Puke .......no way Huggie Bear lets Duke attempt 23 3's like Baylor did. Baylor coaching staff out to be fired for being so stupid..........thats all Duke can do......

WVU will force the duke guards to drive and dish to big men Singler and Zoubek and let them try to score..........WVU will be guarding the 3 point line like its a bank ...........

WVU will win this game and the tourney!!!!!!!!!!

[AnotherLoan]

How will WVU score against the best defensive team in the country? They couldn't even make a 2 point shot in the first half against Kentucky. The Duke pick is looking better and better. Bunch of Duke haters who are too blind to see the facts here. I love the -2.5.

[james4512]

first and foremost duke beat uconn so they were 1-1 vs the big east

second of all, it completely depends what defense wvu plays against duke. The 1:3:1 they play will absolutely not work but i doubt theyll use that since duke doesnt have john wall. I think this is wvu's year butler does not want to lose and they know how to win the tight games down the stretch. This is the best team duke has played all year and its tough to tell how well theyll actually do, there going to need all the s's to play great and i dont see that happening since wvu defense is so good. +3 looks good here

[LT Profits]

How will WVU score against the best defensive team in the country? They couldn't even make a 2 point shot in the first half against Kentucky. The Duke pick is looking better and better. Bunch of Duke haters who are too blind to see the facts here. I love the -2.5.

UM.....Duke is not even the best defensive team in this GAME.

[DaColts]

Cause there going lose

[seaborneq]

first and foremost duke beat uconn so they were 1-1 vs the big east

second of all, it completely depends what defense wvu plays against duke. The 1:3:1 they play will absolutely not work but i doubt theyll use that since duke doesnt have john wall. I think this is wvu's year butler does not want to lose and they know how to win the tight games down the stretch. This is the best team duke has played all year and its tough to tell how well theyll actually do, there going to need all the s's to play great and i dont see that happening since wvu defense is so good. +3 looks good here

Who in the hell didn't beat UCONN this year??? They were pick a punks this year. Me and a few posters would have given UCUNT a game this year. Calhoun would have shot them like Mike Vick dogs' if he could have gotten away with it. William & Mary nearly gave UCUNT the business until the refs had seen enough.

[capper123]

duke wins this game. west virginias shots fell last game. when a kentucky team has open shots and cant hit no shots then kentucks shooting is bad. west virginia dont have control in kentuckys shots. west virginia didnt get lucky but they got some help because a better and i say a better kentucky team shot bad and thats the headline for this one..... now duke they been shooting ok and i believe its time for them to catch some fire and with that defense i dont really see this game all to close. duke win and atleast covers the 2.5. so take duke if you want some extra cash. duke-2.5

[gshock1]

duke wins this game. west virginias shots fell last game. when a kentucky team has open shots and cant hit no shots then kentucks shooting is bad. west virginia dont have control in kentuckys shots. west virginia didnt get lucky but they got some help because a better and i say a better kentucky team shot bad and thats the headline for this one..... now duke they been shooting ok and i believe its time for them to catch some fire and with that defense i dont really see this game all to close. duke win and atleast covers the 2.5. so take duke if you want some extra cash. duke-2.5

I disagree here. West Virginia WILL NOT leave the outside open vs. Duke like they did against Kentucky. I wouldn't use the Kentucky game as an example as this was part of the gameplan. Huggins packed it in and left the perimeter open to 1) neutralize Wall's ability to drive and dish and 2) take away the big men on the inside. He had a feeling Kentucky could not beat them from the outside and proved to be correct. On the offensive end, the reason why they were shooting all those 3;s is because they were falling. Why change something that works and what the defense gives you? Doesn't seem to smart to me.

I'm not taking anything away from Duke here. This will probably be a close game but have to give it to WV because I feel the Mountaineers will 1) win the rebounding game 2) are just a tad more physical than Duke and what they are accustomed too.

[jjgold]

If Kentucky played WVU in a 7 games series , KU would win 4-1 or 4-2 every series