The George Mason Patriots take on the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, NC. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
Duke is favored by 19.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -5000. The total is set at 136 points.
Here are my George Mason vs. Duke predictions and college basketball picks for December 17, 2024.
George Mason vs Duke Prediction
My Pick: George Mason +19.5 (Play to +18)
My George Mason vs Duke best bet is on the Patriots spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
George Mason vs Duke Odds, Spread
| George Mason Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+19.5 -110 | 136 -110o / -110u | +1600 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-19.5 -110 | 136 -110o / -110u | -5000 |
- George Mason vs Duke spread: Duke -19.5
- George Mason vs Duke over/under: 136 points
- George Mason vs Duke moneyline: Duke -5000, George Mason +1600
- George Mason vs Duke best bet: George Mason +19.5 (Play to +18)
George Mason vs Duke NCAAB Betting Preview
Duke is arguably the most talented team in the country, so there's no doubt it will have a massive edge in that department in this contest.
However, for this particular wager, we don't need George Mason to win the game — or even keep it within single digits.
Duke has conference play on deck — it travels to Georgia Tech on Saturday for its ACC opener — so it could be looking ahead.
Also, Bart Torvik has this spread at -15.5 in favor of Duke, which gives us four points of value.
Most importantly, though, George Mason is a much better team than any of Duke's other buy-game opponents.
The Patriots are solid defensively (49th in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency ratings), encapsulating head coach Tony Skinn's "Patriot Pressure" motto.
They also offer some size in the paint to counteract Khaman Maluach and Cooper Flagg, and they have former power-conference players like Darius Maddox (Virginia Tech), K.D. Johnson (Auburn), Jalen Haynes (Virginia Tech) and Woody Newton (Oklahoma State/Syracuse).
Johnson missed George Mason's most recent game with a head injury, so his status is to be determined for this one. However, Duke could also be missing a piece in defensive ace Maliq Brown (toe).
All in all, George Mason is an old team playing in its biggest game of the season. The Patriots haven't played at Cameron Indoor since the 2006-07 campaign, representing a big opportunity for Skinn and his program to show some level of competitiveness and progress on a big stage.
The game script also lends itself to the underdog, as well. This is a matchup between two strong defensive teams and features a squad in George Mason that gets most of its points from the free throw strike while limiting its 3-point attempts. Duke doesn't necessarily foul a lot, but it did allow Seattle to shoot 31 free throws and Louisville to shoot 21.
The under could get a look, as well, but I feel more comfortable backing the underdog on the spread with nearly 20 points of cushion.
