After watching NFL football all day, a college basketball showdown in Chicago offers Thanksgiving dessert, as the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils and No. 22 Arkansas Razorbacks meet in the CBS Sports Classic at the United Center.
John Calipari has been a non-conference rival of Duke’s for years, on the court and the recruiting trail. This will be his first time clashing with the Blue Devils since leaving Kentucky.
My Duke vs. Arkansas predictions and college basketball picks have Arkansas covering the spread on Thursday, November 27.
Duke vs Arkansas prediction
Duke vs Arkansas best bet: Arkansas +11.5 (-110)
The Duke Blue Devils have looked elite in the early going, with neutral-site wins over Texas and Kansas, both by double digits, highlighting a 7-0 start.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are 5-1 but lost to the only power conference opponent they faced, at Michigan State.
The Blue Devils are led by the nation’s top freshman class. Cameron Boozer has looked like a man among boys, dominating in his first seven college games by averaging 21.1 points and 9.9 rebounds, leading the team. He also leads or is tied for the team lead in assists, blocks, and steals.
Against Texas and Kansas, however, Boozer has averaged just 16.5 points and hit 10 of 29 shots. Against the Howards and Western Carolinas, he’s averaging 23 and hitting shots at a 65% clip.
Arkansas has a senior big to match up with Boozer, in stretch four Trevon Brazile, who was on the floor when the Backs beat Duke in 2023. He can guard Boozer inside and out.
Is it a recipe for victory? Maybe not, but John Calipari has preached toughness and physical play in advance of this. It’s something the Duke freshmen haven’t faced yet and will need to adjust to.
There’s also a psychological hurdle for Duke, who returns to head coach Jon Scheyer’s hometown for a holiday reunion game. The distractions, as well as the prospect of next week’s schedule, which includes games against national champion Florida and at Michigan State, make this a trap contest for the Blue Devils.
Arkansas could put a scare into Duke, even if it can’t pull off the upset.
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Duke vs Arkansas same-game parlay
Arkansas has gone Under in four of its last five, while Duke has been Under in four straight and all but one of its games this season.
Both teams score inside and play strong defense, two skills that tend to slow the pace.
Meleek Thomas has scored 16+ in every game except against Jackson State, when he played just 18 minutes in a 54-point blowout win. The 6-foot-5 freshman guard leads Arkansas in scoring and 3-pointers made.
Duke vs Arkansas SGP
- Arkansas +11.5
- Under 159.5
- Meleek Thomas Over 14.5 points
Our beyond the arc SGP: Fast start
Boozer is good, but the expectation may be set a little high at 24.5 points. He has topped that scoring total in three games — against Western Carolina, Indiana State, and Howard. Two of those three teams are ranked in the 300s by the major analytics sites, and the third is in the 200s. All three games were at home. Look for him to be good, not great.
Duke vs Arkansas SGP
- Arkansas +11.5
- Under 159.5
- Meleek Thomas Over 14.5 points
- Cameron Boozer Under 24.5 points
Duke vs Arkansas odds
- Spread: Duke -11.5 (-110) | Arkansas +11.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Duke -700 | Arkansas +500
- Over/Under: Over 159.5 (-110) | Under 159.5 (-110)
Duke vs Arkansas betting trend to know
Arkansas has only hit the game total Over in 17 of its last 36 games, Duke in 20 of the last 40. Find more college basketball betting trends for Duke vs. Arkansas.
How to watch Duke vs Arkansas
| Location | United Center, Chicago, IL |
| Date | Thursday, November 27, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | CBS |
Duke vs Arkansas key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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