Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Duke Blue Devils Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 01/11/25

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish get ready to take on the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon as these 2 ACC teams get ready to battle it out. Duke is ranked #4 in the nation and is undefeated in conference play heading into this game, plus it is also riding a 9-game win streak, looking to make it 10 in a row and continue to move its way to the top of the polls. As for Notre Dame, it has lost 3 straight to ACC rivals Georgia Tech, North Carolina and NC State; it’s not going to get much easier when it faces Duke. Despite its 3-game skid, Notre Dame lost by just 1 point to UNC and NC State and tends to play up to the competition. If the Irish want to keep this close, they have to hope their zone defense can stop Cooper Flagg and the rest of this Duke offense — which is not going to be a simple task.

Duke is one of the best defensive teams in the nation, giving up just 58.4 points per game. Playing against a solid defense like Duke won’t be anything new for Notre Dame; it faced both Houston and Georgia earlier this year. Houston is giving up 54 points per game, Georgia 64.4. And even though Notre Dame did go on to lose both of those games, it’s important to know that the Fighting Irish scored only 54 against Houston and 48 against Georgia. Duke is averaging 80 points per game and Notre Dame is averaging 74.9, but the big difference here is the defense. The Irish are giving up 70.5 ppg, which should open the door for Duke to pull away late. The Devils boast one of the best defenses in the country and knowing how Notre Dame struggled against both Houston and Georgia, I don’t think they’re going to get too many good looks on Saturday. Count on Flagg and the Blue Devils to get the job done in a big way and cover the large spread, making them my best bet of the day.

Notre Dame vs Duke prediction: Duke -19.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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