Duke @ Syracuse preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 14, 2019 ) Syracuse 72, Duke 84

After an up-and-down homestand, No. 8 Duke takes the court for the opener of a three-game road trip Saturday at Syracuse. The Blue Devils fell to Louisville in the first game of their homestand before rallying to pound Miami and Pittsburgh by a combined 42 points.

Star freshman Vernon Carey Jr. had 26 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Pitt while Tre Jones chipped in 14 points and eight assists. The Blue Devils committed only nine turnovers - a number that would also benefit them Saturday if they can protect the ball against Syracuse's 2-3 zone defense. The Orange had won five in a row before falling to Clemson 71-70 their last time out on a bucket in the final seconds. Elijah Hughes and Buddy Boeheim each scored 22 points while playing all 40 minutes for Syracuse, which received just six points from its bench and will need some surprising scoring sources if it plans to pull off the upset against Duke.

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

ABOUT DUKE (17-3, 7-2 ACC): The Blue Devils have four double-digit scorers on the season, led by Carey (17.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.7 blocks), who shoots nearly 60 percent from the field and even has shown the ability to knock down 3s. Jones is next at 14.9 points and a team-high 6.8 assists, not to mention 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals as part of his improved sophomore campaign. Cassius Stanley (12.2 points) has not picked up a steal in the last four games, and he has only four assists in that stretch while attempting 45 shots from the field.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (13-8, 6-4): The Orange begin a three-game homestand with this one before facing Wake Forest and North Carolina State - and it's an important homestand because it's followed by back-to-back road games against top 10 teams (Florida State and Louisville). Hughes (19.3 points) is one of the most dangerous players in the ACC and, while his shooting has been off lately, he has played every minute in seven of the last eight games. The two starting big men for the Orange - Marek Dolezaj and Bourama Sidibe - each fouled out against Clemson and must stay on the court against Duke's powerful front line.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Duke won two of the three matchups last season, including the final one in the ACC tournament.

2. The top six scorers for Duke all shoot at least 36 percent from 3-point land.

3. Boeheim has made at least four 3-pointers in seven of the last 10 games.

PREDICTION: Duke 84, Syracuse 69