Duke vs Georgetown Betting Odds – Monroe puts Hoyas on his back on Saturday

Georgetown were a trendy online betting dark horse pick in the Big East, but some questions were raised after the Hoyas lost a big lead early in the game with some help from their foul-plagued center. Look for this center to be in the middle of everything when the Hoyas host Duke on Saturday in a top-10 showdown of powerhouse programs.

The Storyline: Duke vs Georgetown Betting Odds
The No.8 Blue Devils (17-3, 5-2) learned a lesson from their loss at North Carolina State on January 20th: they needed to get tougher. Duke showed that toughness in wins at Clemson and then again at home against Florida State on Wednesday. The No.7 Hoyas (15-4, 6-3) lost an early double-digit lead to fall 73-56 at Syracuse on Monday, but they’re back at the Verizon Center, where they are 9-1 this season.

Offensive Matchups: Duke vs Georgetown Betting Odds
Duke got big nights from their main guys against the Seminoles, as Jon Scheyer had 22 points and Kyle Singler added 20. The Blue Devils are 10th nationally in scoring and second in free-throw percentage, but they’ve been known as a perimeter team over the past couple of years. This season’s group is no exception.

The Hoyas are eighth in the country in field-goal percentage, but they went cold after jumping out to a 14-0 lead on Syracuse, failing to deal with the 2-3 zone of the Orangemen. Austin Freeman scored a career-high 23 points, but the Hoyas couldn’t get Greg Monroe into the game. The big center had eight points, no offensive points and six turnovers as he battled foul trouble, and he had been playing well recently.

Betting Edge: Duke

Defensive Matchups: Duke vs Georgetown Betting Odds
The Blue Devils are tougher than you think, and they showed it against the Seminoles, a team known for their physicality. Duke is 33rd in field-goal defense and 16th in rebounding margin, and they’re active on that end of the floor. Mason and Miles Plumbee add some grit for Duke.

Monore and Julian Vaughn anchor a solid interior defensive presence for the Hoyas, who are 28th in blocked shots. But outside of those two, Georgetown is a smaller team than usual, and they’re not deep, which is why Monroe fouled out of the game. If Georgetown want to pull out a win in your sportsbook, they need to keep Monroe on the floor.

Betting Edge: Draw

Coaching Matchup: Duke vs Georgetown Betting Odds
Mike Krzyzewski had his team ready to go against the Seminoles, and that he’s got them to play tougher is a testament to his Hall of Fame coaching skills. The next step is to improve their play on the road, and the win at Clemson was a step in the right direction.

John Thompson III could not get his team to calm down when Syracuse made their run on Monday, and there’s no excuse for losing by 16 points after leading by 14 at one point, even on the road. Thompson is hurt by a lack of depth, especially in the post, but you have to make adjustments.

Betting Edge: Duke

Betting Prediction: Duke vs Georgetown Betting Odds
Duke has won four of their five meetings with Georgetown, including last year’s 76-67 win at home. The last time Duke was at the Verizon Center was the 2008 NCAA Tournament, when they were eliminated by West Virginia, another Big East team. The Blue Devils’ trouble on the road has been examined, and even though they beat a good Clemson team, Georgetown poses a bigger set of problems, namely, Monroe. The Blue Devils don’t have anyone that can match up with Monroe, and the big man will bounce back from his stinker at Syracuse to lead his team to a crucial non-conference win

Washington’s Pick: Georgetown

For more sports betting tips in college hoops, check out Washington in the Betting Edge at BetOnline daily.