Kansas vs. Duke, 9:00 ET
Kansas vs. Duke, 9:00 ET
A quick thanks to a reader who let me know that the game I bet on yesterday was taking place in Maui and not in Iowa as I had originally thought. I’m not quite sure how I missed it, but it was a mistake. Luckily, the plat cashed anyway, but part of the reason for the handicapping was wrong and that’s my fault. As always, I’ll try to make sure that mistakes are minimal and wins are plentiful. In this one, I’ll focus on what is likely the best game of the night – at least before the games tip off – as Kansas takes on Duke in Vegas.
Kansas enters the game as the number one team in college hoops, but despite me mentioning these things about all of the teams, the number really means very little at this point. Over the course of the season, teams will move up and down the standings constantly. Kansas, unlike many teams, has actually faced some decent competition, having played North Carolina and Michigan State already. Their opening game was against Howard and they cruised to a 30-point victory. Their game against North Carolina was a true battle and they were able to keep composure enough to win the game by three points. Michigan State brought them another challenge, but Kansas once again was victorious, beating the Spartans by eight. The past two games haven’t been nearly as tough for them as they beat Oakland and North Carolina Wilmington by around 20 points in each game. I do think the offense, and defense, of Duke will be a challenge for Kansas to deal with, but they certainly have the right talent to do it.
Nov 4, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts at Cameron Indoor Stadium during the second half against the Maine Black Bears. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
Duke has had an interesting season to this point, dropping down to 11th after starting slightly higher in the rankings. They might be challenging Kansas for the #1 spot in the country if they had beaten Kentucky a couple of weeks ago. That was a game that Duke had in control for most of it but they kind of crapped the bed down the stretch with their superstar Cooper Flagg making two crucial mistakes as the game was winding down. Their most recent game was their best game of the season in terms of a convincing win and facing a tough opponent. They beat Arizona in Arizona by 14 points. Their defense traveled very well and their offense was good enough. Duke will need to find a way to stop Hunter Dickinson, the talented Jayhawk center.
This is one of those games that makes me think the books are going to take money on Duke because they are arguably the more public team (Kansas is very popular as well). Duke also has the names you’d be more likely to know if you’re a casual fan. However, Kansas is a very talented team. This is not their first test for the season. I am not sure that Duke is the right play here though. I think it is worth taking Kansas with the points here as I again think they are live dogs.
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