Virginia vs. Duke: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

On Thursday night, the 13-2 Duke Blue Devils will host the 14-1 Virginia Cavaliers in an ACC contest that will test the true worth of the surprising Cavs. Both teams won their respective conference openers, but this game should serve as a great measuring stick.

Virginia hasn't played a ton of top teams, but it has just one loss to its credit, that being a two-point defeat against TCU. The Cavaliers do have a win over No. 13 Michigan, though, so they proved on at least one occasion that they can compete with the big boys. They have certainly earned their No. 17 ranking and could skyrocket to an even better spot with a win over Duke.

The Blue Devils have generally looked very good this season, although there have been a couple slip ups. They were destroyed by No. 5 Ohio State earlier in the year and surprisingly lost to Temple last week. Even so, the No. 6 Blue Devils have a very strong and deep team and figure to be among the elite teams this season.

With home-court advantage, Duke is a heavy favorite, but it can't afford to take Virginia lightly. The Cavaliers have proved their detractors wrong this season and will look to continue doing so with a trademark win over the Blue Devils.

Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.

When: Thursday, Jan. 12 at 9 p.m. EST

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN3

Listen: WINA 1070 AM (Virginia) and WKIX 102.9 FM (Duke)

Betting Line: Duke (-11)

Virginia Key Injuries (According to USA Today)

No injuries to report

Duke Key Injuries (According to USA Today)

No Injuries to Report

What's at Stake?

Despite the fact that it is in the middle of a long season, this game has major implications for both teams. For Virginia, a win would be absolutely huge. Despite their record, very few observers are currently taking the Cavaliers seriously. Beating Duke would put them on the map and make people recognize them as true players in the ACC.

I'm not sure anybody will be particularly impressed if Duke wins, but the Blue Devils need a win just as much. They were able to bounce back from their loss to Temple with a win over Georgia Tech, but losing to the Owls is going to be in the back of Blue Devils' fans' minds for quite some time. A win over Virginia will prove that Duke is still the cream of the crop in the conference, though.

What They're Saying

It's tough to call a team with a 13-2 record disappointing, but at Duke, anything short of excellence is unacceptable. The Blue Devils suffered a tough loss last week to the Temple Owls, and it has left them searching for their identity as a team. That is something the team will continue to work on, according to Luke DeCock of the News Observer.

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Specifically with this team, it's a lot of new guys and a lot of older guys who are assuming new roles they didn't have on previous teams, said senior forward Miles Plumlee, a freshman in 2009. It's a process. Sometimes it takes longer than, say, a team with Jon and (Brian Zoubek) and them, when we knew how people played. We're finding out things about ourselves this year. We just have to keep working at it.

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Virginia Player to Watch: F Mike Scott

The Cavaliers don't boast a star-studded team by any stretch of the imagination, as they feature just two players who average double digits in points per game. With that said, they do have one player who rises above the rest, though, and that is senior forward Mike Scott. He leads the team in scoring (16.5 PPG) and rebounding (8.9 RPG), making him a focal point on both ends of the floor.

Virginia likes to use a lot of players and boasts pretty good depth, but if it is going to pull off what would be viewed as a major upset, Scott will have to be the one who carries the burden. When Duke faced Ohio State earlier in the season, it was victimized by big man Jared Sullinger. Scott isn't to that level, but it has been proven that the Blue Devils can be beaten in the paint.

Duke Player to Watch: G Austin Rivers

Freshman guard Austin Rivers entered his freshman year at Duke with a lot of hype surrounding him. For the most part, however, he has been as good as advertised. Rivers leads the team in minutes (29.7 MPG) and scoring (14.7 PPG), and he chips in across the board, including rebounds, assists and steals.

He truly is a stuffer of the stat sheet, and that type of versatility comes in handy. The Cavaliers don't get particularly great guard play on a consistent basis, so Rivers and junior guard Seth Curry will be integral in giving the Blue Devils an advantage. If either player, particularly Rivers, can come up big, then it really boosts Duke's chances of victory.

Key Matchup: Mike Scott vs. Duke Bigs

As previously mentioned, the Blue Devils were dominated in the paint in their first loss of the season against Ohio State. It hasn't been as big of an issue since, but the Blue Devils don't exactly feature top-flight interior players. Ryan Kelly and the Plumlee brothers are certainly solid, but they can be beaten by a skilled post player.

Virginia happens to have one such player in Mike Scott. He is the one bona-fide superstar on the squad, so there is no question that the Cavaliers will filter the ball to him as often as humanly possible. If Duke's bigs can neutralize him, then the Blue Devils should win easily. But if they play soft, then the Cavaliers could certainly shock Duke at home.

Prediction

Duke 84, Virginia 70