The Duke Blue Devils and Kentucky Wildcats face off in the Champions Classic on Tuesday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Both teams have looked impressive so far, but I'm taking the points with the underdogs in my Blue Devils vs. Wildcats predictions.
Here are my best free college basketball picks for this clash between NCAA blue bloods on November 12.
Duke vs Kentucky prediction
My best bet
Kentucky +5.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
The Duke Blue Devils boat-raced Maine and Army to begin the season, and there's plenty of excitement in Durham with freshman sensation Cooper Flagg projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Flagg isn't the only freshman who has impressed with Kon Knueppel leading Duke with 18.5 ppg and shooting 50% from deep, while 7-foot-2 center Khaman Maluach had a double-double against Army.
They've surrounded that trio of five-star recruits with guards Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster, and Sion James. However, I'm not convinced the backcourt is able to take care of the ball or stretch the floor against talented opponents.
The Kentucky Wildcats don't have the star power of Duke, but this might be the best UK team in years— a squad built for actual college success and not focused on sending one-and-done players to the NBA. Mark Pope has assembled an experienced and deep roster, with the skillsets of their players complementing each other.
Kerr Kriisa is a pass-first PG, while Lamont Butler is a good secondary ball-handler with strong perimeter defense. On the wing, Kentucky has a lockdown defender in Otega Oweh, a deadeye shooter in Koby Brea, and an NBA prospect in Jaxson Robinson who scores and defends. Down low, they have versatile offensive forward Andrew Carr while center Amari Williams is an athletic rebounder and rim protector.
Six of those guys are seniors while Oweh is a junior and they've all proven themselves against top competition. The Blue Devils were able to do whatever they wanted against a short, slow, unathletic Army lineup, but this will be a wake-up call against a Kentucky team much closer in all those areas.
With the Wildcats boasting the more experienced squad, take them with the points here.
Duke vs Kentucky same-game parlay
Kentucky +5.5
Over 160.5
Lamont Butler Under 3.5 rebounds
The Blue Devils scored 96 points against Maine in their season opener before dropping 100 on Army. The Black Knights typically play at one of the slowest tempos in the country and the Black Bears also prefer a slow pace.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats and new head coach Mark Pope prefer a run-and-gun style and have hit the 100-point plateau in both of their games. With Flagg struggling with cramping issues against Army, expect Kentucky to push the pace, resulting in a high-scoring contest.
Lamont Butler is coming off a game where he had just one rebound against Bucknell and he averaged a modest 2.7 rpg last year with San Diego State. I don't see the 6-foot-2 Butler coming down with many boards against a Duke rotation that has the 6-foot-5 Foster as its shortest player.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Duke vs Kentucky odds
Duke vs Kentucky live odds
Duke vs Kentucky opening odds
- Spread: Duke -5.5 (-110) | Kentucky +5.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Duke -270 | Kentucky +220
- Over/Under: Over 161 (-110) | Under 161 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Duke vs Kentucky betting trend to know
The Over is 25-8 in Kentucky's last 33 games (+16.15 Units / 44% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Duke vs. Kentucky.
How to watch Duke vs Kentucky
| Location: | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA |
| Date: | Tuesday, 11-12-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
Duke vs Kentucky key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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