Duke vs. James Madison expert picks: Spread, odds, projections for NCAA Tournament second-round game

We have a battle of the Dukes on our hands! The No. 4-seeded Duke Blue Devils and No. 12 James Madison Dukes are set to face off in the second round of the men’s NCAA Tournament, with the crew from Durham, NC, coming in as the favorite.

Despite a 3-3 finish entering the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils are here in the Round of 32 after finding some footing against Vermont. All-American Kyle Filipowski may not be coming off his best scoring night — he had a season-low 3 points against the Catamounts — but his all-around contributions (12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals) could present a challenge for the Dukes.

Filipowski, however, is not the only viable Blue Devils scoring option set to take on JMU. Duke has five players averaging double figures in scoring.

Duke’s latest ensemble performance came on Friday, as Mark Mitchell (15 points), Jared McCain (15 points), Jeremy Roach (14 points) and Tyrese Proctor (13 points) scored in double figures to open the tournament. And while the Blue Devils’ lineup includes an impressive mix of scorers, their defense is what got them to the second round, allowing a season-low 47 points against Vermont.

As for JMU? The Dukes are not your average No. 12 seed.

Riding a 14-game winning streak and a 32-3 overall record, the Dukes have an ensemble cast of their own. Terrence Edwards Jr. (14 points), TJ Bickerstaff (12 points), Julien Wooden (12 points), and Michael Green III (11 points) are all coming off double-figure scoring performances in their upset win over Wisconsin. The Dukes also forced 19 turnovers.

Edwards — the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year and a finalist for several National Player of the Year honors — is the star of the show for JMU. Leading the team in scoring at 17.3 points a game, Edwards has been the driving force for a squad that has not lost a game since Jan. 27.

JMU — a great shooting team from 2 and 3 that doesn’t turn the ball over and is adept at forcing them — came into the NCAA Tournament as the trendy pick to be the No. 12 seed that inevitably knocks off a No. 5. But how will the Dukes match up with a true college basketball blue blood when they play the Blue Devils?