The Jacksonville Dolphins will open the 2022-23 college hoops season Monday at Cameron Indoor Stadium against the Duke Blue Devils. While it’s expected to be a rather lopsided affair, it is a game you’ll want to check out.
After serving as head coach from 1980 to 2022, including five national titles, 13 Final Four appearances and 15 ACC Tournament championships, the icon Mike Krzyzewski is no longer the man in charge.
The ultra-organized Jon Scheyer takes the reins in his first-ever game as head coach. Coach K groomed the former Duke standout as a special assistant, then full assistant coach and eventually co-associate head coach.
Will the Blue Devils — and their shiny new set of recruits and portal additions — be able to grab the cover along with the win against the Dolphins? We’ll discuss in our NCAAB picks and predictions for Jacksonville vs. Duke.
Jacksonville vs Duke best odds
Jacksonville vs Duke picks and predictions
Scheyer has the enviable task of filling the gigantic shoes of the legendary Coach K, but, perhaps just as important, the Duke Blue Devils must replace the likes of Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, as well as A.J. Griffin, Wendell Moore, and Mark Williams. That’s four first-round NBA picks, as well as Trevor Keels, who ended up going in the second round.
The cupboard is anything but bare in Durham, however. Jaylen Blakes and Jeremy Roach are back for Scheyer to give Duke some familiarity. Duke also had a killer recruiting class, as Scheyer picked up where K left off, as Kyle Filipowski, Dereck Lively, Mark Mitchell, Tyrese Proctor, Christian Reeves, Jaden Schutt, and Dariq Whitehead are the new generation of Duke stars.
On Wednesday night, Duke showed a glimpse of the future against NCAA Division II CIAA champ Fayetteville State at Cameron Indoor Stadium in an exhibition game. Lively sat due to a calf issue and Whitehead is recovering from a fractured foot, but Filipowski and Mitchell were front and center leading the charge. And don’t sleep on Illinois transfer Jacob Grandison, who dropped a team-high 17 points... he will get plenty of run in Scheyer’s system.
Duke has a very balanced attack and it topped Fayetteville State by 37 points, winning 82-45. Of course, the Blue Devils lost a secret scrimmage on the road against Houston, reportedly by a 61-50 score in a 32-minute scrimmage, so there are some chemistry issues which will be worked out in games like this one against JU.
The Dolphins were 21-10 last season, and head coach Jordan Mincy’s group leaned upon a tenacious defense. In fact, JU was No. 4 in the nation with just 59.3 points per game allowed, although that will be put to the test here.
In addition, JU ranked No. 17 in the country with a 39% defensive field-goal percentage, and it was No. 13 overall in limiting the opposition to just 29.2% shooting from behind the arc. The Dolphins have the defense to make the Dukies sweat, at least for a good chunk of the game.
Jacksonville returns six players, including the experienced Kevion Nolan. And for an ASUN team, the Dolphins have a lot of size in the frontcourt, so it will be a good test for the meshing Blue Devils.
JU didn’t win against three power conference teams last season, but the defense also allowed just 69 or fewer points against Georgia, Minnesota, and Pittsburgh. The Dolphins have the D to lock down anybody in the nation, and Jacksonville has plenty of returning experience and a lot of chemistry to bank upon.
It’s uncertain if Lively will be able to play, and the Cameron Crazies will have to wait a while before getting a glimpse of Whitehead. But even without those two prospects, the rebuilt Blue Devils will have enough potential NBA talent to pull away from the Dolphins for the win, while JU’s defense will help it grab the cover.
My best bet: Jacksonville +17.5 (-118 at FanDuel)
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Jacksonville vs Duke spread analysis
Jacksonville gets a chance to introduce itself to the nation in a spotlight game. The Dolphins won’t be fazed by playing in front of boisterous crowds after plenty of experience in 2021-22.
Last season, as mentioned above, JU didn’t fare terribly well in games against big-time teams, at least in terms of wins and losses. It fell 55-44 at Minnesota, lost 69-58 at Georgia and was dropped 64-55 at Pittsburgh, covering just the game against the Golden Gophers. That’s still impressive defense, nonetheless.
Still, it was a microcosm of what JU will try to replicate this season. The Dolphins like to rag the clock, play turgid defense, and really make the opposition work for everything it gets.
Duke will be facing an ASUN team for the first time since Dec. 4, 2020, when it eased by Bellarmine 76-54 at Cameron. Roach is the only notable player on the Duke roster to have participated in that one, scoring four points off the bench in 15 minutes.
The Blue Devils had mixed results last season during the non-conference schedule at home, going 4-2-1 ATS. It started slow, and it generally takes these high-talent teams a little time to jell. The Dolphins actually have more chemistry at this point, and it will show in the early going before talent takes over.
Jacksonville vs Duke Over/Under analysis
The Dolphins have played more like manatees under Mincy, slowing it down similar to what the Blue Devils and their fans have seen in recent seasons from fellow ACC member Virginia. JU is methodical, it uses old-school fundamentals, and the defense is emphasized.
On the flip side, the Blue Devils will look to get JU out of its comfort zone. Duke will want to let its athletes run, it will want to have the flashy passes and the dunks, and it will want to dominate the glass and the paint. The Dolphins have the size to at least be somewhat resistant to the bigs for the Blue Devils.
This will actually be a defensive slog during the early going. Both sides will struggle with their shots and it won’t be pretty basketball early on. It really never is, especially with power teams folding in a lot of new bodies and personalities. Playing the Under (139.5, -110) is the lean here, and that’s an awfully nice parlay opportunity coupled with Jacksonville plus the points.
Jacksonville vs Duke betting trend to know
Duke is just 2-3-1 ATS in its past six regular-season home openers at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 2015. Find more College basketball betting trends for Jacksonville vs. Duke.
Jacksonville vs Duke game info
| Location: | Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC |
| Date: | Monday, November 7, 2022 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ACC Network |
