The annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge headlines another robust week of college basketball betting action, with the super-sized conferences battling 14 times over a three-night span (Monday-Wednesday).
Props.com will profile each night’s marquee matchup. There are some interesting battles for Tuesday, but only one features the nation’s No. 1 team playing its first true road game of the season.
No. 1 Duke At Ohio State
- Tipoff Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
- TV: ESPN
- Duke: 7-0 SU/3-2-2 ATS
- Ohio State: 4-2 SU/2-4 ATS
Odds: Side & Total
| Sportsbook | Spread | Total |
| BetMGM | Duke -3.5 (-110) | 147.5 |
| Caesars | Duke -3 (-110) | 147 |
| DraftKings | Duke -3 (-110) | 148 |
| PointsBet | Duke -3 (-110) | 147 |
| The Superbook | Duke -3 (-110) | 147 |
Odds updated as of 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 30.
Betting Trends
Duke Betting Trends
- The Blue Devils are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 road games.
- Duke is 4-9 ATS with its last 13 games played on a Tuesday.
- The Over is 4-1 with Duke’s previous five road games against teams with winning records.
Ohio State Betting Trends
- The Buckeyes are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games as an underdog.
- Ohio State is 1-5 ATS in its last six games following a straight-up defeat.
- The Over is 6-0 in the Buckeyes’ last six as a home underdog.
Final Thoughts
— The Big Ten has an early 2-0 lead in this year’s challenge. On Monday, Iowa (road) and Illinois (home) knocked off Virginia and Notre Dame, respectively.
— The ACC owns a lifetime mark of 138-115 in this event (launched in 1999), along with a 12-7-3 series record. However, the Big Ten has won four of the last seven challenges (including one series tie in 2018).
— According to BetPrep.com, Duke has hit the Over in 19 of its last 31 games dating back to last season. Ohio State is 20-14-1 to the Over since the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign.
— Duke is 5-1 SU in ACC/Big Ten Challenge play since the 2015-16 season. The Blue Devils averaged 85.9 points per game during this stretch, enjoying a cumulative point differential of plus-66. On the flip side, Ohio State is 2-4 the ACC/Big Ten Challenge the past six years. Those two victories for the Buckeyes: 90-85 over Notre Dame (last year) and 74-49 over No. 7 North Carolina in November 2019.
— Duke and its opponents are averaging a combined 150.1 points per game this season. The Blue Devils’ last two contests yielded 188 and 165 total points, with both easily clearing the total.
— Ohio State has eclipsed the total in each of its last five contests, including a win over Seton Hall (79-76) and a loss to Florida (71-68). For the season, the Buckeyes and their foes are averaging 145 combined points per contest. However, OSU has cleared tonight’s 148 consensus total just twice in six games.
— Player To Watch: Duke freshman Paolo Banchero, a potential top-3 pick in next year’s NBA draft, has lived up to his 5-star fame, averaging 18.0 points and 7.6 rebounds, while shooting 53.4 percent from the field. Banchero dropped 20 first-half points in last week’s 84-81 win over then-No. 1 and previously unbeaten Gonzaga. Prior to succumbing to cramps late in the contest, Banchero showcased his talents as a prolific scorer and deft passer on the break.
More ACC/Big Ten Challenge Action
Florida State (5-1 SU, 3-3 ATS) at No. 2 Purdue (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS): The Boilermakers will host a Florida State squad riding a four-game winning streak following victories over Tulane (59-54), Loyola Marymount (73-45), Missouri (81-58), and Boston University (81-80 OT). However, the Seminoles dropped their one true road game of the season, a 71-55 loss to Florida. Purdue has already scored 90-plus points five times, including high-profile victories over North Carolina (93-84) and No. 6 Villanova (80-74). The Boilermakers are a consensus 11.5-point favorite, and the total is 142.5.
Minnesota (5-0 SU, 4-1 ATS) at Pittsburgh (2-4 SU/ATS): The Golden Gophers have benefitted from a friendly schedule to start the season, posting three double-digit victories over outmatched competition (UMKC, 71-56; Purdue-Fort Wayne, 78-49; Jacksonville, 55-44). The Panthers are coming off back-to-back blowout home losses to Vanderbilt (68-52) and Maryland-Baltimore County (87-77. All four of of Pitts’ losses have been by double digits (15, 15, 16, and 10 points). Minnesota is a consensus 2.5-point road favorite; the total is 128.
Indiana (6-0 SU, 4-2 ATS) at Syracuse (3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS): The unblemished Hoosiers, who hit the road for the first time, have been tested only twice to date (68-62 win over Eastern Michigan; 76-74 win over St. John’s). Conversely, Syracuse has lost four of its last five, most recently falling 89-68 to Auburn on Friday as a 5.5-point underdog. Indiana is 3-0-1 ATS in its last four as a road favorite, while Syracuse is 2-5 ATS from its last seven as a home underdog. The Hoosiers are laying 2.5 points, while the consensus total is 146. The Orange have surrendered 84-plus points in three of their last five games. Meanwhile, the Under is 9-1 in Indiana’s last 10 outings (5-1 this season).
Clemson (5-2 SU, 4-2-1 ATS) at Rutgers (3-3 SU, 0-6 ATS): The Scarlet Knights will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak — and cash their first ticket of the season — when they host Clemson. The Tigers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six, but 0-1-1 ATS as an underdog. Rutgers is a consensus 1-point home favorite, and the total is 124.5.
Northwestern (5-1 SU, 4-2 ATS) at Wake Forest (6-1 SU, 4-3 ATS): The Wildcats play their first true road game of the season when they visit Wake Forest. Northwestern has alternated spread covers in its last five games, most recently cashing in last Tuesday’s 78-62 victory over Georgia as an 8-point favorite in the consolation game of the Roman Legends Classic. The Demon Deacons, who are coming off their first defeat of the season (75-61 to LSU), have failed to cover in their last two after starting the season 4-1 ATS. Wake Forest is a consensus 1.5-point home favorite; the total has jumped from 143.5 to 145.5/146.
