Duke basketball: Predicting every win and loss this season
By Matt Giles
Game 8: Duke basketball at Ohio State
The Duke Blue Devils will play their first actual road game when they play the Ohio State Buckeyes, who rank No. 17 to start the year, on Nov. 30 at 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) in the Schottenstein Center. The scheduled battle is part of the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Seeing that this game takes place away from home in front of a potentially raucous opposing crowd, chances are some of the younger Blue Devils will struggle early and often against the Buckeyes.
And it’s also worth pointing out that Ohio State may have the perfect ingredients to hand Duke what would be its first loss of the season if these predictions hold. Those ingredients are the Buckeyes’ three experienced, versatile forwards in EJ Liddell, Kyle Young, and Justice Sueing, who could counter most punches from Paolo Banchero & Co.
Duke leads the all-time series, 4-3. But the last time the Blue Devils played the Buckeyes in Columbus, they left with a 22-point loss in 2011-12. In the three meetings this century, the two programs have rotated wins, with Ohio State now being due for a victory in this next one, though not by a double-digit margin this time.
Predicted final score: Ohio State 85, Duke 84 OT
The Blue Devils fall to 7-1 overall on the season.