Maine Black Bears vs Duquesne Dukes NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/11/24

Planning on watching today’s Black Bears and Dukes game? Catch the action at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, PA, as the Dukes hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 132 points, with Duquesne being favored by -6.5 over Maine.

MAINE BLACK BEARS VS DUQUESNE DUKES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Maine Black Bears +6.5

This game will be played at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, December 11th.

WHY BET THE MAINE BLACK BEARS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-71 in favor of the Dukes.
• Even though we have Duquesne winning straight-up, we like Maine at +6.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 132 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Can the Black Bears Pull Out the Win as Road Underdogs?

Maine Black Bears Recent Game/Games

Maine fell to 4-5 on the season after an 87-72 loss to Fordham on Sunday. The Black Bears were +5.5 point underdogs going into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 159, surpassing the over/under line of 137.5.

Maine struggled in the first half, trailing 37-23 at the break. While they managed to score 49 points in the second half, they also allowed 50 points, preventing a comeback.

Maine’s offense put up 72 points in their last game, shooting 39.4% from the field and 25% from three-point range, hitting just 3 of 12 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 42.4%, and they connected on 89.5% of their free throws, going 17 for 19 from the line.

AJ Lopez led the way with 24 points on 8 of 14 shooting, while Romad Dean and Jackie Johnson III each added 16 points. Dean was perfect from beyond the arc, hitting 3 of 3, and Johnson contributed 6 assists to go along with his 3 made threes.

Maine’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 87 points on 50% shooting from the field. They allowed 52% shooting from inside the arc, with the opposing team hitting 22 of their 42 two-point attempts.

From three-point range, Maine’s opponents shot 47%, making 9 of 19 attempts. The Black Bears also sent them to the line 25 times, where they converted 16 free throws, shooting 64%. Maine gave up 13 offensive rebounds as well.

Can Duquesne Secure a Home Victory?

Duquesne improved to 2-7 on the season with an 80-66 home win over Delaware on Friday, December 6th. The Dukes entered the game as -3.5 point favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 146 narrowly went over the pre-game line of 145.5.

After trailing 37-36 at halftime, Duquesne turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring Delaware 44-29 to secure the win.

Duquesne put up 80 points in their latest game, shooting 40.3% from the field and 29.6% from beyond the arc, hitting 8 of 27 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.8%, and they knocked down 22 of 28 free throws, shooting 78.6% from the line.

Niels Lane led the way with 20 points on 8 of 10 shooting, including 2 of 3 from three-point range. Tre Dinkins III added 18 points, hitting 4 of 9 from deep, while Kareem Rozier contributed 14 points and 5 assists, despite shooting just 27.3% overall.

Defensively, Duquesne held their opponent to 66 points on 40% shooting from the field. They allowed 25 made field goals on 62 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Duquesne’s defense limited their opponent to 8 made threes on 27 attempts, a 29% shooting rate.