#6 Duke Blue Devils vs #19 Kentucky Wildcats: NCAA Basketball Odds & Best Bets

The other Champions Classic matchup is a Top 25 matchup as the Duke Blue Devils and the Kentucky Wildcats go head to head following Michigan State against Kansas. This matchup is no longer Coach K vs Coach Cal, as Mark Pope has taken over the head coaching responsibilities at his alma mater. The Wildcats are off to a 2-0 start, along with the Blue Devils who bring standout freshman Cooper Flagg to the court.

The Blue Devils are 2-0 this year, averaging 98 points per contest against Maine and Army. Both games were in Cameron Indoor Arena, so now we will get to see if these freshman can play away from home? Duke is obviously led by Flagg, but Tyrese Proctor, Kin Knueppel and Mason Gillis all plan on making an impact for Jon Scheyer.

As for the Wildcats, Mark Pope has this team reloaded and ready to go. Transfers Lamont Butler, Koby Brea and Andrew Carr are all scoring 10 points per game so far this season. The Wildcats have put up triple digits against Wright State and Bucknell, but no face a real team for the first time under Pope’s guidance. Will they be able to take down Flagg and company to pull off this upset? Or will Duke beat Kentucky in this Blue Blooded Battle?

#6 Duke Blue Devils vs #19 Kentucky Wildcats: Champions Classic

Cooper Flagg is the most exciting freshman in College Hoops this year

Matchup Information – Duke vs Kentucky

• Venue & Location: State Farm Arena (Atlanta, GA)
• Date: Tuesday, November 12th, 2024
• Tip Off: 9:00pm Eastern
• Broadcast: ESPN

Betting Odds

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Spread

• Duke -5.5 (-108)
• Kentucky +5.5 (-112)

Money Line

• Duke -242
• Kentucky +202

Total

• Over 160 (-108)
• Under 160 (-112)

Mark Pope Leads Wildcats in First True Test

Mark Pope has big shoes to fill taking over for Coach Cal

Both of these teams are off to electric starts, averaging a combined 199.5 points per contest. The total certainly reflects the speed that these teams play at, as the Wildcats rank 26th in pace, while Duke is in the top half of the nation. These teams are incredibly sound on both sides of the ball, and tonight, one of them will walk way with a very earned win on their record.

This game tonight is what the Champions Classic is made of, and I’m excited to watch it all unfold.

Since taking over for Coach K, Jon Scheyer has slowed the Blue Devils offense and ramped up the defensive intensity, ranking 33rd in points allowed per possession under his guidance. They’ll have a tough time slowing down the Wildcats of Kentucky and this fast, high scoring offense tonight. Duke’s top two scorers this season have been freshman, and they’ll look for them to lead the team in a tough matchup tonight, but they might have too much on their plate.

Even though Kentucky has tons of new pieces, they have experience. All three transfers listed earlier in this article, Brea, Carr and Butler, are all seniors. Their veteran leadership will shine tonight against a young, immature Blue Devils team. As for coaching, I’ve got to lean with Mark Pope as well. Sure, he isn’t the biggest name in College Hoops, but he turned around the BYU program, ran a fantastic style of basketball, and plans to do the same at Kentucky. That starts tonight with an upset win over Duke.

#6 Duke Blue Devils vs #19 Kentucky Best Bets

Koby Brea is 10/12 from deep this season

Duke vs Kentucky Prediction: Kentucky Wins, Over 160

Best Bets: Kentucky +5.5 (-110) Bovada

I’m going to back the more experienced, faster, better coached team (in my most humble opinion) tonight. Cooper Flagg is a hooper. he’s going to be the #1 overall pick and have a hell of an NBA career. But tonight he really gets his first taste of college basketball.

I’m sure Mark Pope has his locker room decked out in tweets and articles from reporters singing this kids praises. He’s already being called the next big thing in the NBA, and if you’re the Wildcats, you use that as motivation. The media is already counting you out of this game because of who you’re playing, completely forgetting the work you’ve done all offseason.

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are going to come out screaming, daring the Blue Devils to keep up. Kentucky plays incredibly fast, especially under Pope, which translates to more possessions and more points. Overall, these teams are both very talented, and while Duke might have the edge, I’ve got to lean with the experience here.

Duke is led by two freshmen and junior Tyrese Proctor. Kentucky is led by 3 seniors who have 5 times as much college experience than the Blue Devils top players. Give me veteran leadership to come into play tonight as Kentucky wins a close one.

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