Champions Classic Odds, Picks, Predictions Tuesday: Duke Vs. Kentucky
Duke men’s basketball battle Kentucky in the second contest in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Both programs land in the top 20 of media polls and my college basketball power rankings. The Blue Devils are Duke Blue Devils +1.5 (-110) on Bet365 spread favorites, and the total is 156.5 (-105) on Caesars. Let’s analyze the Duke vs. Kentucky odds board to assess whether there is any value.
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duke vs. kentucky odds: spread, moneyline, total
Will Duke Reach Its Potential?
The Blue Devils boast a loaded freshman class paced by Cooper Flagg, the potential top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In recent memory, Flagg is the most prestigious high school player to enter college basketball. He’s the highest-rated signee for Duke in school history, manufacturing 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists through two games.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of the Blue Devils’ scholarship players (10 of 12) weren’t on the roster in 2023-24. The bench alone, including Mason Gillis (Purdue) and Maliq Brown (Syracuse), could compete for conference titles in a handful of leagues.
Jon Scheyer has constructed a roster with tremendous positional versatility. No scholarship player is registered under 6 feet 5 inches. Duke should present an elite defense throughout the campaign, already ranked sixth on Haslametrics.
Kentucky’s Newfound Approach
Mark Pope left BYU during the offseason to take over his alma mater. Unlike the Jon Calipari era, he rebuilt the Wildcats’ roster through the portal. Kentucky added nine new faces in that regard, led by 6-foot-6 guard Jaxson Robinson, the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year under Pope last season.
Wake Forest’s Andrew Carr (13.5 points per contest), Drexel’s Amari Williams (12.2), Oklahoma’s Otega Oweh (11.4), Dayton’s Koby Brea (11.1), West Virginia’s Kerr Kriisa (11.0), and San Diego State’s Lamont Butler (9.4) round out the other key transfers.
Pope’s floor-spacing offense should allow Kentucky to keep pace against upper-echelon opponents. In fact, the turnover-prone Kriisa offered some trash talk ahead of this potential high-scoring affair.
“Obviously the whole world is talking about Cooper Flagg, so we’re excited to play against the No. 1 draft pick,” Kriisa said. “Congrats to him already.”
College Basketball Projections
While Kentucky has let up 0.88 points per possession (PPP) in two matchups, Pope’s previous teams haven’t been defensive-minded. Flagg could torch the Wildcats’ less agile frontcourt, especially if Carr is in foul trouble. My raw numbers give Duke a slight edge (-7.1) juxtaposed with the opening line of -6.
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duke vs. kentucky odds: player props
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To place a bet, click on any of the following odds, including those listed for Blue Devils guard Tyrese Proctor.
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