Duke vs Syracuse: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

Both Duke and Syracuse are holding onto dear life on the bubble for an at-large bid. Who will get the much-needed victory on Monday?

TV schedule: Monday, February 22, 7:00 pm ET. ESPN

Arena: Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina

When five-star freshman forward Jalen Johnson decided to leave Duke, it looked as if the team’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament were finished. But it seemed to have brought the opposite effect, with the Blue Devils starting a new winning streak.

After beating both NC State and Wake Forest, Duke (10-8, 8-6) got its biggest victory of the season on Saturday. It was primetime against Virginia, 66-65 after a last-second defensive stop. ACC Player of the Year candidate Matthew Hurt led all scorers with 22 points on five made three-pointers, while freshman Jeremy Roach chipped in with 12. Forward Jaemyn Brakefield had big contributions off the bench with 11 points and five rebounds.

That win gave the Blue Devils life as an at-large team, but they’ll need to keep winning to have a chance. That includes their next opponent in Syracuse (13-6, 7-5), a team also currently on the wrong side of the bubble and needs to make a big run to solidify their own respective resume. They’ve done their part in the last three games, beating Boston College, NC State, and Notre Dame.

In the last game, junior guard Buddy Boeheim posted a career-high 29 points and six made three-pointers to beat the Fighting Irish. Now on a three-game win streak, Syracuse goes on the road to take on both Duke and Georgia Tech, in what feels like a pair of bubble elimination matchups.

This is the first meeting between these teams this season and this should end up being a high-scoring affair. Both of them have positive momentum and have plenty to play for. But right now, the Orange‘s lack of an answer for Hurt on paper looks to be the potential difference down the stretch.

Prediction: Duke 85, Syracuse 80