Kentucky Wildcats vs Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview

The Kentucky Wildcats kick off their season against the Duke Blue Devils on Tuesday. This is a tough game for each of these teams facing each other so early on.

The Wildcats already come into the season ranked number ten in the nation. Still, they have to prove that ranking, and it starts with facing one of the best teams in college basketball.

The Duke Blue Devils have a preliminary rank as well, currently ninth in the nation. It’s only fitting that for their first game of the season, they’d take on the No.10 team.

Considering this is Coach K’s farewell tour, you can imagine how special this opener is. The Blue Devils will do all they can to make their coach proud of them this season.

Kentucky Wildcats look to take down a college basketball giant

The Wildcats are hoping to open their season with a win over the Blue Devils. Although they come in as narrow underdogs, there’s no denying the fact that the Wildcats are an incredible team.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats offense isn’t quite up to the same caliber as Duke’s is. On average, the Wildcats score 70.44 points per game last season. Compare that to Duke’s 76.00.

Where they do have a slight edge over Duke is on defense. Last season they limited their opponent to just 70.16 points per game. Still, this is Duke they’re playing and will need more than just good defense to win.

They’ll need a strong offensive output, paired with a resilient defense that won’t give up many points. If they can achieve this, the Wildcats have a shot at this one.

The Duke Blue Devils look forward to this season opener

The Blue Devils have a lot to play for this season. Coach K announced that this will be his final season, and Duke wants to give him the exit he deserves. They can start this season off right by defeating the Kentucky Wildcats.

Duke has a history with the Wildcats that usually ends in Duke winning, going 3-1 in their last four. With that kind of history, we imagine Duke is fairly confident.

Duke also had one of the best offenses in the nation last season. Averaging 76.00 points per game, they’ll hope to have the same prowess this year.

The Kentucky defense won’t make it easy on them, though, so Duke needs to be on their A-game. They can stretch the Kentucky defense more by being efficient from beyond the arc.

Our pick for the Kentucky Wildcats vs. Duke Blue Devils

Although the Blue Devils have the offensive prowess, the Kentucky Wildcats have a lot to play for. They’re looking to set themselves apart from the rest of the NCAA and can start with a win over Duke. We believe the Blue Devils will have their home opener spoiled by Kentucky.

With their defense and knowing how important a fast start is, we’ll take the Wildcats +1.5. We’ll also be taking the under in this game, considering both teams have a good defense. Take the road team in this one, Kentucky Wildcats +1.5, UNDER.

Dunkelindex Pick: Kentucky Wildcats +1.5, UNDER

Keep up with your latest NCAAB news coverage and betting pick previews at The Dunkel Index.