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Army vs Duke Picks, Predictions and Odds (Nov. 12)

Chris Amberley

by Chris Amberley in College Basketball

Updated Nov 12, 2021 · 5:45 AM PST

Duke celebrates on their way back to the bench
Duke forwards Wendell Moore Jr. (0) and Paolo Banchero (5) celebrate after a good series of plays during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Winston-Salem State, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
  • #9 Duke hosts Army on Friday (November 12th, 7 pm ET) at Cameron Indoor Stadium
  • The Blue Devils beat #10 Kentucky 79-71 in their season opener, while the Black Knights whipped D3 opponent Suny New Paltz 83-52
  • Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

Friday night college hoops are back. This week’s edition features a young, exciting Duke team, who’ll host Army at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The #9 Blue Devils were victorious on Tuesday in their season opener, downing #10 Kentucky 79-71 in the Champions Classic.

The Black Knights meanwhile, also grabbed a victory in their first action, pasting D3 opponent Suny New Paltz 83-52.

Army vs #9 Duke Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Army Black Knights +2000 +24.5 (-118) O 142.5 (-110)
Duke Blue Devils -20000 -24.5 (-104) U 142.5 (-110)

Odds as of Nov. 11th at FanDuel.

Duke opened up as a 24.5-point favorite, in a game that features a total of 142.5. Tuesday’s victory over the Wildcats highlighted just how high the ceiling is for this Blue Devils’ freshmen class, and basketball junkies are itching to see what they do for an encore.

Freshmen Focus

The first-year star power starts with Paolo Banchero. The 6-10 forward was either the number one or two ranked player in the preseason top-30, depending on which set of experts you side with, and headlines Duke’s top-four ranked 2021 recruiting class.

The 18-year-old is receiving all sorts of praise from NBA stars all across social media, including LeBron James, and it’s no wonder they’re hyping him up after seeing his debut. Banchero went for 22 points versus Kentucky, while grabbing 7 rebounds and picking up a pair of steals. He buried 7-of-11 attempts, and made 89% of his free throws.

He’s projected to be a top-two pick in next year’s Draft, but he’s not the only freshmen that turned heads this week. Teammate Trevor Keels was electric at the guard position. He scored a team-high 25 points and demonstrated the ability to score at all three levels. He’s a top-15 prospect for next year’s Draft, and his stock will continue to rise if he performs like he did against the Wildcats.

Duke also features an additional pair of top-25 prospects in freshman A.J. Griffiin and sophomore Mark Williams, but they were relatively quiet in the opener.

The Blue Devils shot 50.8% from the field, despite missing 12 of their 13 attempts from beyond the arc. Defensively, they clamped down on Kentucky, holding Big Blue to 37.7% from the floor, and 38.9% from three.

Black Knights Cruise in Opener

Army’s blowout win over Suny New Paltz was about as easy an opener as they could have asked for. They held the D3 program to 30% from field, while draining 54.8% of their own attempts.

The Black Knights are fresh of their first winning season since 2015-16, and project to be a top-five team in the Patriot League this season. Three starters are back, led by conference defensive player of the year Josh Caldwell, and the guard will most likely be tasked with trying to slow down Keels.

Caldwell led the way in the opener with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, while fellow returnee Charlie Peterson put up 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting.

The upgrade in opponent talent from Suny New Paltz to Duke will likely be overwhelming for Army, especially in the early going, so don’t be surprised if the Blue Devils jump out to a big first half lead.

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Army vs Duke Pick

Simply put, the Black Knights lack the length and athleticism to keep pace with the Blue Devils. Duke is loaded with future NBA players, while most of the Army players didn’t receive offers from any other D1 schools.

The Black Knights have played two top-10 teams in the past three years, and neither outcome was particularly pretty. They fell 97-54 to 10th ranked Villanova in 2019, while the Blue Devils beat them by 22 as the #4 team in the nation in 2018. Look for another big victory for Duke, led by its fabulous freshmen.

Pick: Duke -24.5 (-104)

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