Pick Against the Odds Spread for Baylor vs. Duke, plus the latest odds
Even though this is a neutral-court sport, tonight is the 59th time that Duke basketball has played at MSG, which is their home away from home. The Blue Devils have won 40 of those games and lost only 18.
With some of the best underclassmen in the country leading a couple in high-octane offenses and a few key veterans, our experts have broken down this game to give you an accurate Baylor vs. Duke prediction along with Baylor vs. Duke odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.
It’s clear that both Baylor as well as Duke want that big win before the start of their conference games, but Duke requires it even more.
By now, Baylor has three good wins over Auburn, Florida, or Seton Hall. However, they haven’t beaten a team that is ranked in the Top 25 yet.
Also, Duke hasn’t beaten a team in the current Top 25. Their only gain over a big program was against Michigan State, whose just beat these Baylor Bears to improve to 5-5.
Baylor was 9-0 before that game, but they lost 88–64 because they shot poorly, which doesn’t happen very often for these Bears.
If Baylor is coming off a bad game, it could help them play better in this one, which is good for their offense.
Duke had the shortest odds for winning March Madness going into season #2. They missed a chance to win at home towards Arizona and then lost two true contests on the road at Arkansas or Georgia Tech, even though they were the favorites in all three.
Even though Duke is ranked 11 spots lower than Baylor in the AP Poll, it’s not a surprise that they are favorites in this game (-2.5, -115 at FanDuel). KenPom.com ranks Duke #10 and Baylor #13.
Also, the New Jersey Devils have taken six straight games at MSG in the last six years, so some of their players know how to do well there.
You have to shoot effectively from deep to beat Duke. Baylor shoots from deep 44.6% of the time, which is the best rate in the country.
To beat Baylor, you need to score in and make it hard for them to get second chances. The Blue Devils are great at both of these things.
Both sides are going to play to their strengths, and both teams like to move the ball around the court. This could lead to a shootout with an outstanding total.
Wednesday night in New York, the 2023 Sentinel One Classic will take place at Madison Square Garden. The No. 10 Baylor Bears and the No. 21 Duke Blue Devils will play each other.
The Bears (9-1) lost 88–64 at Michigan State on Saturday and are now tied for third place in the Big 12 Conference alongside Kansas State with 11–7 records. They were 23–11 last year.
The Blue Devils (7-3) shared for third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with Clemson alongside Pittsburgh with a record of 14-6. They were 27-9 overall in 2022–23. They have won two straight games, including an 89–68 win over Hofstra on Dec. 12.
The game starts at 7 p.m. ET. Duke scores 81.6 points every game, while Baylor scores 88.4 points per game. All oddsmakers agree that the Blue Devils will win by three points.
The total number of points scored is 153, with 153 being the over/under. Before you bet on Duke vs. Baylor, check out SportsLine’s proven model for college basketball picks.
Ten thousand times, the model plays out every Division I college basketball game. It has a 100–63 record on all top-rated NCAA basketball picks going into Week 7 of the 2023–24 season, going back to over $2,000 for $100 players.
It’s been a good season for the Blue Devils’ sophomore forward Mark Mitchell. He just scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds, and gave out two assists in the win over Hofstra.
Mitchell hit eight out of thirteen shots and scored 20 points against Bucknell on November 17. When Mitchell gets 10 points or more, Duke is 20-2. Mitchell is in the running for the Julius Erving Award.
Guard Jared McCain is making a big difference as a rookie. In 33 minutes of play against Hofstra, he scored 13 points, grabbed four boards, and stole two balls.
From Corona, California’s Centennial High School, he was a five-star guard. McCain scored 21 points with Charlotte on December 9—his best game of the season. He made 7 of 13 field goal attempts, including 3 3, for the game.