Duke vs. Arizona: Picks, Predictions and Odds

Two top-25 teams that came up short in recent non-conference contests match up in Tucson on Friday night as the 17th-ranked Arizona Wildcats host the No. 12 Duke Blue Devils.

Arizona is 2-1 and is coming off a 103-88 defeat at the Wisconsin Badgers last Friday. Duke is 3-1, with its only loss coming 10 days ago to Kentucky by a 77-72 score.

These teams met in Durham at the start of last season, with Arizona taking a 78-73 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke vs. Arizona betting picks and predictions

Arizona -1.5 (-110)

This is on the board as basically a toss-up, and for good reason. Arizona is coming off a 27-9, Sweet 16 season. Duke also went 27-9 last year, and advanced one step further, losing in the Elite Eight.

Talented, deep rosters are present on both sides.

Duke is getting the production out of its stars that coach Jon Scheyer expected. Cooper Flagg is justifying all the preseason hype, leading the Blue Devils in every major category, including points (16.3 ppg), rebounds (9.5 rpg), and assists (4.0 apg).

Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel (14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists) has been just as impressive, while Sudanese big man Khaman Maluach (9.5 points, 7.2 rebounds) is getting settled inside.

The Wildcats counter with leading scorer Jaden Bradley (14.7 ppg), KJ Lewis (12.3 ppg), veteran Caleb Love (11 ppg, 3.0 apg) and Tennessee transfer Tobe Awaka (10.3 ppg, 12.3 rpg).

Both teams struggled mightily beyond the arc in their losses this season. Duke shot just 16.7% from three-point land in the loss to Kentucky, while Arizona made just 17.4% of their 3-point shots against Wisconsin. To make matters worse, Kentucky (40%) and Wisconsin (44.4%) were both demonstrably better from beyond the arc in those games.

Arizona’s Caleb Love would like to continue his career-long mastery over the Blue Devils.

The former North Carolina Tar Heel owns a 7-2 career record against Duke. That includes a Final Four victory in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last game and another win last fall, the first loss for new Duke coach Jon Scheyer at Cameron.

The game is expected to live up to the hype, and for Arizona to hold court with a tight win, covering the -1.5-point spread as a favorite.

Under 161.0 total points (-110)

Arizona is averaging 94.3 points per game, while Duke is averaging 88.5 a contest. Those numbers are expected to come down as the competition consistently goes up, and that should begin with Friday's game.

The Wildcats combined for 191 points with Wisconsin in their loss at Madison, and will look to up their defensive performance across the board this time around.

Arizona held its other two opponents, Canisius and Old Dominion, to an average of 54 points a game. The 103 surrendered against the Badgers should serve as a wake up call for coach Tommy Lloyd and his team.

Duke is allowing an average of 58 points a contest, even with Kentucky’s 77 in the aforementioned loss. If both teams’ perimeter defense can do a better job, and Maluach and Maliq Brown can slog inside with Awaka and Trey Townsend, the total should stay well Under 161.0 points.

Duke has played to the Under two out of four times this season, while Arizona has played to the Under just once in three games. Look for those numbers to increase tonight as the Blue Devils and Wildcats total Under 161.0 points.

Read more betting picks and predictions for College Basketball on site.

Duke vs. Arizona odds

Duke	+105 ML
Arizona	-125 ML
Spread	Arizona -1.5
Total Points	O/U 161.0

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.