Duke vs. Virginia: 2018-19 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

The premier game of the collegiate-hoops weekend occurs on Saturday in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as Duke travels to Virginia.

TV schedule: Saturday, February 9, 6:00 pm ET. ESPN.
Arena: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.

If you’re a fanatic when it comes to college basketball, as I am, then you won’t want to miss Saturday evening’s showdown between No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Virginia. At stake is the lead in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, jockeying for the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Dance, and, of course, bragging rights.

The Blue Devils (20-2, 8-1), winners of six straight since losing at home in overtime to Syracuse on Jan. 14, are heading to John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va., to take on the Cavaliers (20-1, 8-1), a squad that has captured four-consecutive conquests. At this juncture, Duke and UVA are tied for first place, along with No. 8 North Carolina, at the top of the league race. Back on Jan. 19, the Cavaliers nearly knocked off the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., but Virginia fell just short (72-70).

In that affair, both units shot woefully from downtown and the charity stripe, and I don’t expect that to occur in this latest match-up. It’s such an interesting dynamic when the Cavaliers and Duke square off because it pits a rock-solid defense against a high-octane offense. Something will have to give on Saturday. UVA is unblemished, at 11-0, on its own turf. The Blue Devils, by extension, are a perfect 4-0 in true road tilts.

Without question, this pair of programs is among the nation’s elite. The Cavaliers enter this encounter with an NCAA NET rating of No. 1, while Duke checks in at No. 3. Currently, on the Bracket Matrix Web site, prognosticators across the sport project the Blue Devils and Virginia as No. 1 seeds in the field of 68 during March Madness, with Duke presently listed as the No. 1 overall seed.

Should the Cavaliers beat the Blue Devils in this go-round, those projections absolutely could flip-flop. Regardless of the ongoing speculation about seed lines for the NCAA Tournament, it’s a pretty safe assumption that Duke and UVA are deemed front-runners to reach the Final Four.

The turnover battle, transition buckets, rebounding, second-chance points, and proficiency from beyond the arc are all critical components to this enticing duel. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index says that the Cavaliers are a 66.6-percent favorite to prevail. Ultimately, Virginia’s home-court advantage will prove a huge factor, with the Cavaliers squeaking past the Blue Devils.

Prediction: Virginia 75 – Duke 73