The Kentucky Wildcats (2-0) take on the Duke Blue Devils (2-0) in Atlanta, GA. Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Duke is favored at -6 on the spread with a moneyline of -265. The over/under is also set at 160.5 points.
Here’s my Kentucky vs Duke predictions and college basketball picks for November 12, 2024.
Kentucky vs Duke Prediction
My Pick: Kentucky +5.5 or Better
My Kentucky vs Duke best bet is on the Wildcats spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Kentucky vs Duke Odds
| Kentucky Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 159.5 -110o / -110u | +195 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 159.5 -110o / -110u | -240 |
- Kentucky vs. Duke spread: Duke -5.5
- Kentucky vs. Duke over/under: 159.5 points
- Kentucky vs. Duke moneyline: Duke -240, Kentucky +195
- Kentucky vs. Duke best bet: Kentucky +5.5 or Better
Kentucky vs Duke College Basketball Betting Preview
In the early days of the season, Kentucky’s hiring of Mark Pope is going according to plan. Big Blue Nation was able to woo a host of exciting transfers, building a team with both talent and experience that is notably stocked with shooters throughout the roster.
The high-paced, run-and-shoot style Pope preaches will lead to some eye-popping box score numbers.
In Kentucky’s second game, Kerr Kriisa had 12 assists in just 21 minutes off the bench. Amari Williams, who dominated in the paint at Drexel, has shown that his athleticism will translate, grabbing 13 or more rebounds in both games so far this season.
The Cats have proven themselves willing and able to share the ball. In Kentucky’s opener Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh and Dayton transfer Koby Brea combined for 39 points and a perfect 7-of-7 from deep.
Against Bucknell, Brea led the way with 20 points, assisted by 14 points from BYU transfer Jaxson Robinson.
Against top competition, this could end up feeling like a vacuum with a lack of a go-to-guy, yet having plenty of experienced scorers capable of attacking leans towards “good problem to have.”
Everyone expected a Duke freshman to lead the team in scoring, but few expected that freshman to be Kon Knueppel, instead of highly-touted prospect Cooper Flagg. Knueppel has been red hot early on, averaging 18.5 points per game while hitting half his 3-point attempts at a high volume.
Flagg has certainly not disappointed, posting 15.5 points per game on top of some box score stuffing elsewhere on the floor – nine rebounds, four assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.
That duo looks dangerous enough to keep Duke among the nation’s Final Four contenders this season, though the Blue Devils’ ceiling will be dictated by its backcourt. Tyrese Proctor had been an inefficient scorer in his first two years at Duke, yet is being asked to do less and has blossomed as a secondary option.
Tulane transfer Sion James and sophomore Caleb Foster will be expected to handle the ball, yet Knueppel and Flagg make for perfect safety valves.
It’s hard to find many flaws in what Duke has done against Maine and Army, other than the fact that Duke’s early-season success has come against, well, Maine and Army.
Kentucky vs Duke Betting Analysis
I try not to let past trends over-influence my bets, as I rarely dip my toe into the world of “auto-betting” based on prior results.
The primary exception to this rule, however, comes annually at the Champions Classic, where I blindly bet both underdogs.
In nine years of the event, favorites are 5-12 ATS and just 9-8 outright.
This event comes so early in the season, giving bookmakers a much smaller sample size for each of the programs involved. The chance to grab two of the nation’s most storied programs catching points on a neutral floor is always going to catch my eye.
If I need to further justify with evidence that will show on the court Tuesday night, there’s still a case. Kentucky’s 39-point win over Wright State is the most impressive thing either of these two teams have done this season, with the Cats yet to fail to hit 100 points in two outings.
Pope’s roster is stocked with shooters and is anchored by the elite rebounding and rim protection of Williams in the middle.
If it can keep Flagg in check, Kentucky should be able to shoot its way to a nail-biter or a win.
