Today in Brooklyn, New York, the No. 4 seed Duke Blue Devils face No. 12 seed James Madison for the right to play in the Sweet 16. It is the type of matchup between a blue blood program and a Cinderella double-digit mid-major that people across the nation will be drawn to.
For those who haven't followed James Madison that closely this year, understand that they won't be intimidated by playing Duke on the big stage. Already this year, they have secured a win at Michigan State when the Spartans were ranked in the top five of the polls and their win on Friday over No. 5 seed Wisconsin showed that they won't back down to any major conference opponent.
This is an important game for head coach John Scheyer who lost to Tennessee last year in the second round of the tournament, his first foray into the Big Dance. Getting his program into the tournament's second weekend will be imperative for the young head coach as he continues to try to build his own legacy in Durham and the Blue Devil faithful will not be kind should his team stub its toe against a double-digit seed in the second round.
How to watch Duke vs. James Madison in the NCAA Tournament Round 2
Date: 3/24/24
Time: 5:15 PM ET
Channel: CNS
Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live, fuboTV
Announcers: Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery and Grant Hill
Duke vs. James Madison NCAA Tournament Round 2 odds
Favorite | Money line | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|
Duke: -7.5 | Duke: -300, JMU: +250 | 147.5 |
Duke vs. James Madison NCAA Tournament Round 2 prediction
James Madison isn't your typical Cinderella. Rather, it is a confident bunch ready for its opportunity to take down the game's most famous brand on national television.
This will be a game all about pace and guard play. JMU has Terrence Edwards Jr. and Noah Friedel averaging almost 30 points per game between them in the back court. Can the Duke guards, who have been hit or miss for much of the season, match them?
Look for Duke to try to get out in transition and make this an up-tempo game. Ultimately, the Blue Devils have the better roster and the greater margin for error given that they have far more players capable of taking over a game. Expect Kyle Filipowski to rebound from a quiet offensive day against Vermont and make the difference down low.
Final Score: Duke 80 - JMU 71