The No. 24-ranked Kansas Jayhawks face the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
The Jayhawks will be missing superstar guard Darryn Peterson, and my Kansas vs. Duke predictions expect their offense to struggle without him.
Here are my best free college basketball picks for this battle between blue bloods on November 18.
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Kansas vs Duke prediction
Kansas vs Duke best bet: Kansas Team Total Under 68.5 (-115)
The Kansas Jayhawks have ruled out freshman guard Darryn Peterson for the third-straight game. He's projected to go first overall in the upcoming NBA draft and averaged 21.5 points and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 50% from deep in his first two contests.
The Jayhawks' offense has underperformed without Peterson, going 8.5 points Under their team total against tiny Texas A&M-CC and 7.5 points below their team total versus Princeton. Center, Flory Bidunga has become their No. 1 scorer, but doesn't facilitate for others or stretch the floor.
The Duke Blue Devils have elite length, athleticism, and positional versatility, which has enabled them to rank ninth in the country in adjusted defense per KenPom. Duke is 10th in the nation in points per game allowed (58.8 ppg) while ranking second in opponent eFG% (38.1%).
The Blue Devils' best win came against Texas (The No. 37-rated team per Bart Torvik), who they held to 60 points on 32% shooting at a neutral site. They don't allow many shots at the rim (31st in opponent rim frequency) and do a great job of defending without fouling.
They don't give up many easy buckets, which is bad news for a Kansas offense that doesn't have anybody who can create their own shot.
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Kansas vs Duke same-game parlay
Isaiah Evans knocked down four treys against Army and Texas but went a combined 1-9 from deep in games against Indiana State and Western Carolina. The Jayhawks do a good job at closing out perimeter shooters and are holding foes to 25.2% shooting from the arc.
Patrick Ngongba II has grabbed 7+ rebounds in three straight games, and the 6-foot-11 center should get plenty of playing time tonight as Duke tries to contain Bidunga.
Kansas vs Duke SGP
- Kansas team total Under 68.5
- Isaiah Evans Under 3.5 threes made
- Patrick Ngongba II Over 5.5 rebounds
Our beyond the arc SGP: TEASER
Even if the Jayhawks' offense struggles, they have the No. 11-rated defense per KenPom and should be able to keep things competitive early before Duke uses its depth to pull away in the second half.
Kansas vs Duke SGP
- Kansas team total Under 68.5
- Isaiah Evans Under 3.5 threes made
- Patrick Ngongba II Over 5.5 rebounds
- Kansas 1H +6.5
Kansas vs Duke odds
- Spread: Kansas +11 | Duke -11
- Moneyline: Kansas +475 | Duke -650
- Over/Under: Over 148.5 | Under 148.5
Kansas vs Duke betting trend to know
Kansas has gone 24-14 to the Under since the start of last season. Find more college basketball betting trends for Kansas vs. Duke.
How to watch Kansas vs Duke
| Location | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date | Tuesday, November 18, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Kansas vs Duke 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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