DUKE ?7.5 - I realize that Xavier is one of the hottest teams in the country, currently on a 9-0 run both S/U and ATS. However, besides catching St. Joseph?s by surprise in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, they have not faced a foe as formidable as this Duke team during their hot streak. You know that Duke will not take the Musketeers lightly, and an inspired performance by the Blue Devils should mean that the clock strikes Midnight for Cinderella. I still feel that Duke has the best team in the country, as I think they accumulated their impressive numbers vs. a much stiffer schedule that everyone else?s current favorite Connecticut. They have also won all 3 of their Tournament games by double digits, and the Illinois team they beat on Friday by 10 points is probably a better overall squad than this Xavier unit. The Musketeers will have to continue to drain their 3-point shots to have any chance of competing in this game, but few teams defend the perimeter as well as Duke does, and I feel that the end result will be another double-digit victory by the Blue Devils.
