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The No. 11-ranked Duke Blue Devils (4-1) will test the mettle of the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (5-0) in the Vegas Showdown on Tuesday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The much-anticipated clash pits two of the most prestigious College Basketball schools seeking to boost their stock as the 2024-25 regular season goes deeper.
The Blue Devils are coming off a 69-55 road win over No. 17 Arizona on Friday, while Kansas beat UNC Wilmington, 84-66, on Tuesday to remain unbeaten in five starts.
Let's look at the odds and predictions for this top-tier, blue-blood school showdown with nine national titles between them.
Duke vs. Kansas prediction
Both teams have retooled their lineups during the offseason and have benefitted from these roster changes. The Blue Devils picked up the best freshman haul this season, getting the commitments of five five-star recruits, led by No. 1 prospect, Cooper Flagg.
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On the other hand, the Bill Self-coached Jayhawks acquired top-caliber guards Zeke Mayo, AJ Storr, Rylan Griffen and Noah Shelby from the transfer portal to team up with returning stars Dajuan Harris Jr., K.J. Adams Jr. and 7-foot-2 center Hunter Dickinson.
The showdown is expected to be a gritty battle where the experienced Jayhawks will test the quality and caliber of the Blue Devils' freshmen-dominated lineup. There is a chance that the estimated over/under of 148.5 might be breached, given the capacity of both teams to score at least 74 points in one game.
Freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are Duke's 1-2 punch this season. In five games, Flagg has averaged team-leading numbers of 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks, while Knueppel has tallied 14.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
The Blue Devils also rely heavily on Caleb Foster, Tyrese Proctor and Khaman Maluach. Proctor, averaging 11.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists, has been the stabilizing presence in the team's roster, along with Foster, who is averaging 9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Maluach, playing limited minutes at center, has tallied 9.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 1.4 bpg.
Kansas' offense is similarly balanced, with six players averaging at least 8.4 points per outing. Dickinson leads the team with a double-double of 17.8 ppg and 10.4 rpg. Zeke Mayo is the only other Jayhawk in double figures at 12.6 points while AJ Storr (9.4 points), Dajuan Harris Jr (9.2 points), KJ Adams Jr (8.6 points) and Flory Bidunga (8.4 points) have all contributed to Kansas' 5-0 start.
Prediction: Duke Blue Devils 80, Kansas Jayhawks 76
Duke vs. Kansas odds
Duke vs. Kansas picks
Pick #1: Blue Devils -3.5 (-110)
Pick #2: Over 148.5 (-110)
Pick #3: Hunter Dickinson Over 17.5 points (-105)
Duke vs. Kansas head-to-head
This will be the 15th meeting between the two since their first matchup on Dec. 1, 1985. The Blue Devils lead the series 8-6, but the Jayhawks won their last matchup 69-64 on Nov. 15, 2022, in Indianapolis.
How to watch Duke vs. Kansas
The game will air live on ESPN on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Fran Fraschilla (analyst) and Kris Budden (reporter) will serve as the broadcast team.
Livestream content will be available on Sling while Sirius XM will deliver the shot-per-shot action on radio.
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