Duke Basketball Game Tonight: Duke vs. Kansas Injuries, Odds, Prediction

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and guard Tyrese Proctor (Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and guard Tyrese Proctor (Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports) /
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The Duke basketball team has its first major test against Kansas on Tuesday night. 

Tuesday night presents the first true challenge of the season for the Duke basketball program as the Kansas Jayhawks await in the State Fame Champions Classic.

Kansas, the defending National Champions, look a lot different from its March run a season ago and will not have the services of head coach Bill Self due to his four game suspension handed down by the school prior to the start of the season.

It’ll be Jon Scheyer vs. Norm Roberts on the sidelines, just like everyone predicted two years ago when looking at this matchup.

Neither team was tested in its first two games of the season as Kansas (2-0) toppled Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota State while Duke (2-0) dominated Jacksonville and the University of South Carolina Upstate.

The Blue Devils sport the top ranked freshmen class in the country, according to 247Sports, while Kansas jumped back into the deep recruiting waters this offseason with the fourth best class in the nation.

Both blue-bloods will take the court inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana following the completion of Kentucky vs. Michigan State.

Duke Injury Report vs. Kansas

Duke saw the return of Dereck Lively (calf) on Friday night against USC Upstate but is still likely to be without Dariq Whitehead (foot) on Tuesday night against Kansas.

Lively logged 14 minutes in the blowout win while head coach Jon Scheyer has stated that Whitehead has been on the floor and was cleared for contact drills in practice as the team tries to build up his conditioning.

Duke vs. Kansas Odds: Spread, Over/Under & Betting Pick

WynnBET’s college basketball odds lists Duke as a 1.5-point underdog against Kansas while the total is set at 144.5.

Neither team has played tough competition in each of its first two regular season games but the Blue Devils have been more impressive with its defensive efficiency against Jacksonville and USC Upstate.

Kansas lost a lot of talent from its championship team a season ago but does return Jalen Wilson and enters a talented freshmen class.

However, Bill Self will not be on the sidelines as he was suspended via the self imposed recruiting restrictions in the fallout from the FBI investigation into the college basketball corruption case in 2017.

The absence of Self plus the veteran leadership in the backcourt from Jeremy Roach will lead Duke to cover the 1.5-point spread and win the game outright as an underdog with the total going under the number listed.

What Channel is the Duke Game On?

The game will be broadcasted at approximately 9:30 p.m. E.T. on ESPN.

Duke vs. Kansas Live Stream

Tuesday’s Duke basketball game can be streamed live on Fubo TV.

Duke Basketball Next Game and Schedule

  • Friday, November 18 vs. Delaware (7:00p.m.)
  • Monday, November 21 vs. Bellarmine (8:30p.m.)
  • Thursday, November 24 vs. Oregon State (3:00p.m.) [Portland, Oregon]