Now that this is down to a semi-manageable ML, I'll take it in part to chase losing on Michigan against Rutgers. That result quite surprised me, I must say. Enjoy the NIT clowns! Duke is playing its best ball of the season and my only worry is a letdown after winning at UNC. Pitt can be very good some days and quite bad others. The Dukies will eye payback for an eight-point loss at Pitt earlier this season. This will be essentially a Duke home game in Greensboro.

I’m taking the points with Pitt, which is the best cover team in college basketball, at 22-8-2 against-the-spread this season. Duke finished 23-8, scrapped brilliantly most of the season and rarely outplayed its rating, meaning the Blue Devils were overrated most of the season. They went 12-19 ATS, 5-10 ATS on the road and 6-14 ATS in ACC play. I’m on Pitt to cover.

A young Duke team has started to figure things out and may have us forgetting that Coach K is no longer calling the shots. Winners of six in a row, Duke's starting five, which is dominated by freshmen, has started to gel on both offense and defense. Pittsburgh is having a good season and veteran leadership should serve them well, but ultimately Duke has the talent and pulls away in this one.