9:35 pm
November 9

#10 Kentucky v. #9 Duke

Who will WIN this matchup?

#10 Kentucky Wildcats (0-0)

#9 Duke Blue Devils (0-0)

 

Current odds:

Kentucky Wildcats: (+140)

Duke Blue Devils: (-160)

 

• The spread for the game is Duke by 3 points.

• For all of the talent on the court, the attention-getter will be Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is starting his final season before retirement. Krzyzewski insists he doesn’t want the next five or six months to be all about him. Krzyzewski, who’s in his 42nd season at Duke and 47th overall as a head coach, said it has been an unusual preseason given that most of the recruiting has been handled by associate head coach Jon Scheyer, who will become the Blue Devils’ head coach next spring.

• Neither program participated in the NCAA Tournament last season. Following two victories in the ACC Tournament, Duke’s season ended after a member of the roster tested positive for COVID-19, leaving the Blue Devils with a 13-11 record.

• Kentucky had a 9-16 record. A pair of three-game winning streaks in SEC play were the highlights in an otherwise forgettable season. “We got to figure it out,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “I’ll be honest, I have not zeroed in on (a lineup), but I told them after (a recent exhibition) game, ‘If you can play interior defense, you’re going to play for us. So you want to play? Play interior defense.'”

• Guard Kellan Grady, a transfer from Davidson, is likely to be in Kentucky’s starting lineup. Freshman TyTy Washington Jr. also is tabbed for the starting five. “I enjoy playing fast-paced basketball; that’s part of the reason I came here because I know (Coach Calipari),” Kentucky freshman forward Daimion Collins said. “He’ll play fast pace. I know that the people we have around here can play fast, too, and I like that.”

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
#9 Duke Blue Devils
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