NCAAB: Eckel on the ACC - one solid pick, one solid warning

There are two games in the ACC Tuesday night, a good one and an awful one. We’re only looking at the good one.

Duke (-8) at Louisville, 9 p.m.
The Pick: Duke (-8) and under 151 1/2

It’s kind of crazy to give a top-20 team eight points at home. But it’s even crazier to bet against Duke at this point.

The Blue Devils (21-2) look like the best team in the country right now (a short bench might come back to haunt them in March, but that’s another story) so you may as well roll with them.

Duke is 5-0 on the road this season and has covered four of those five, including last Saturday’s win at Virginia. Louisville (17-7) is just 6-6 against the spread at home this season and in its last home game lost by 10 to North Carolina.

If Duke showed a weakness this season it was their accuracy from 3-point land. Before Saturday’s win at Virginia, the Blue Devils shot just 29 percent from behind the arc. Then they hit 13 (of 21) 3s against the Cavs.

It’s not going to be an easy night for the Cardinals.

Pitt (+3) at Boston College
The Pick: STAY AWAY

Pitt has lost seven straight and is 0-7 on the road this season.

Boston College has lost nine of its last 11 and is 3-10 against the spread at home this season.

There is no reason to bet this game. None.