After coasting to wins over Army and Coastal Carolina to open the 2026-27 season, Jon Scheyer and Duke will face their first test on Tuesday night in Chicago in the State Farm Champions Classic.
Duke will take on Michigan State in what is an early-season Top 5 matchup. The Spartans moved up to No. 5 in this week's AP Poll on the strength of blowout wins over Quinnipiac and Toledo.
Long-time Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo has a veteran group that looks capable of competing for the National Championship. They will provide a major test for the new-look, but supremely talented Blue Devils.
The head of the snake for the Spartans is junior guard Jeremy Fears, one of the preseason favorites to win National Player of the Year. He's averaging a double-double of 12 points and 10 assists through two games this season.
On the wing, Coen Carr is one of the freakiest athletes in college basketball, and all eyes will be on the matchup between him and Dame Sarr.
On the interior, this will be a major test for Patrick Ngongba and especially freshman sensation Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. Michigan State starts 7-foot-2 center Anton Bonke, who will make life difficult around the rim. And while Boumtje Boumtje has a height advantage over Jordan Scott, he's a physical player who competes hard on the glass and can step out of the paint and hit shots from deep.
This is a deep and talented team that has five guys averaging double-figures in scoring through two games.
Scheyer will learn more about his team after this game - win or lose - than he learned through the three exhibition matchups or the first two regular-season tilts.
Betting odds for Duke vs. Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 8am ET on Monday.
Spread: Duke -7.5
Over/Under: 148.5
Moneyline: Duke -335/Michigan State +265
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Final Prediction:
After consecutive dominant wins, Duke should be in for a dogfight tonight in Chicago. Michigan State will be ready, and Izzo's club will test the Blue Devils. This is the type of game, though, that you simply get credit for playing. There's no real downside here, even in defeat.
This is the type of early-season game where Scheyer will lean on his veterans. In particular, this is the type of game that Duke brought John Blackwell here for. He's got plenty of experience going up against Michigan State, and he dropped 24 points on the Spartans last year with Wisconsin.
I expect a big game from Blackwell and for Ngongba to continue showcasing himself as a legitimate player-of-the-year candidate.
Michigan State keeps it close, but Duke earns a quality early-season win at the United Center.
Pick: Duke 78, Michigan State 71
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