In the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament championship game, the Duke Blue Devils will go up against the Purdue Boilermakers. It will be an ACC vs. Big Ten battle for bragging rights.
In their first game, Duke defeated Oregon State, and on Friday night, they defeated Xavier. The Boilermakers also entered the contest on the strength of two victories, as they defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs and West Virginia.
Duke vs Purdue Betting Odds
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Duke vs Purdue Match Details
Fixture: Blue Devils vs Boilermakers
Date and Time: Sunday, November 27 at 3:30 PM ET
Venue: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Duke vs Purdue Key Stats
With a victory on Sunday against the Boilermakers in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament, the Blue Devils, who are currently 6-1, will be in a great position to give new head coach Jon Scheyer his first trophy. However, it will not the one that the Blue Devils' fans ultimately want, as they would hope that the Blue Devils bring home the laurels by winning the NCAA tournament in March. Duke's two victories have largely been the result of a strong defense.
Both on offense and defense this season, they have excelled. With the 14th most effective attack and the 26th most effective defense in the country, they have managed to stay in the Top-30 in both departments so far this season.
They rebounded from Thursday's struggles with their shot by shooting 50% overall and 41% from three-point range. The Blue Devils limited Xavier to 39% of its total field goal attempts.
With games against Gonzaga and West Virginia to begin the tournament, the Boilermakers' schedule may have been the most difficult. With victories in each game, they have thus far passed the test.
Over 80 points have been scored by the Boilermakers in each of the tournament's first two games. They will have to carry that positive momentum and intensity into the championship game if they need to beat one of the most decorated college basketball teams, the Blue Devils.
In a Friday night matchup against the incredibly effective Gonzaga Bulldogs, Purdue demonstrated its defense. Gonzaga's field goal percentage of only 40% was about 10% below the season average.
Along the way, they restricted Gonzaga to just four total free throws for the entire game on their inside-the-pain offense. The Boilermakers shot 22 free throws in the meantime.
Duke vs Purdue Betting Prediction
On Sunday, the Boilermakers will encounter the toughest defense they have encountered thus far in the tournament. All season long, the Blue Devils' defense has limited the opposition to under 40%. Jeremy Roach will be the key. Both Roach and the Blue Devils struggled in the opening game.
In the second game, he grabbed a rebound, and the offense reacted in kind. With a Purdue backcourt that includes two freshmen, Roach should have his way on offense, dominating plays inside the paint. The Blue Devils should come out with a victory in the championship game.
Pick: Blue Devils (-130)
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