Duke basketball vs. Georgia Tech: Scouting report, score prediction

It’s no secret that Duke basketball has struggled on the road this season.

The Blue Devils (14-5, 5-4 ACC) are 10-0 at home, 3-2 in neutral site games and 1-4 – nearly 0-5 – in true road games, and travel to Atlanta on Saturday for a must-win matchup against a struggling Georgia Tech squad.

The Yellow Jackets (8-12, 1-9 ACC) have lost six in a row, including five of those by 10 points or more. Duke’s most recent road loss, a 78-75 decision to Virginia Tech on Monday, snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Hokies.

Here’s what else you need to know for Saturday’s game (3 p.m., ACCN) at McCamish Pavilion.

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Dariq Whitehead injury update

Duke basketball freshman forward Dariq Whitehead is out for Saturday's game after suffering a lower left leg injury during Monday's 78-75 loss at Virginia Tech.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer updated Whitehead's injury status on Thursday.

"He's not ready for Saturday," Scheyer said. "He's progressing, but we want to take it slow. I don't want to speculate on time, 'cause we don't know, but it won't be for Saturday. We're not rushing, just taking it a day at a time."

Scheyer said the injury was a strain and "not any more than that."

Whitehead, a potential NBA Draft lottery pick, fell to the floor, wincing and holding his lower left leg after landing awkwardly while fighting for a loose ball with Virginia Tech’s Justyn Mutts. He was able to hobble off the court before collapsing to the floor near Duke's bench and exiting the court with the help of his teammates. He returned on crutches.

"I think he got a lot of relief once we got the MRI and (there) was no structural damage," Scheyer said. "We just need to make sure we make smart decisions and take our time with him."

Duke must win to stay in ACC title contention

It’s hard to avoid hyperbole when discussing college basketball in late January, but despite 11 games left in the ACC regular season, Saturday feels like a must-win game for the Blue Devils.

Currently, there are eight teams ahead of Duke in the standings with first-place Clemson (17-4, 9-1) holding a 3.5-game lead over the defending regular-season champion Blue Devils. A loss to Georgia Tech would drop them to .500 in league play with a four-game gauntlet of Wake Forest, UNC, No. 20 Miami and No. 7 Virginia next on the schedule.

So, yes, Duke doesn’t have to be convincing, but it does need to secure the win over Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech struggling with 3-point shooting

Tech’s current losing streak has been aided by its troubles from beyond the arc.

During a 78-66 loss to NC State on Jan. 17, the Jackets went 2-of-21 from 3, and against Clemson earlier this week, they finished 4-of-23, missing 13 in a row at one point.

Georgia Tech ranks No. 13 out of 14 ACC teams in 3-point shooting and 297^th in the nation, per KenPom.

The Jackets have their poorest league record after 10 games since the 2014-15 season, when it also started 1-9. It finished 3-15.

Duke basketball vs. Georgia Tech score prediction

Duke 68, Georgia Tech 56: Even without Whitehead, the Blue Devils’ size inside will be too much for a Georgia Tech team that has failed to shoot its way into games this season.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball vs. Georgia Tech: Scouting report, score prediction