Champions Classic wagering picks: Duke-Michigan State, Kansas-Kentucky

Dalen Cuff, ESPNNov 13, 2023, 10:00 AM ET The 2023 State Farm Champions Classic happens at the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The doubleheader features No. 9 Duke vs. No. 18 Michigan State at 7 p.m. ET, followed by No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 17 Kentucky at roughly 9:30 p.m. ET. Both games can be seen on ESPN and via the ESPN app.It’s eight days delinquent, however welcome to the unofficial start to college hoops season. The Champions Classic constantly feels like the real start to the season( and must be the actual tipoff occasion ), with 4 of the most significant brands in the sport playing in a doubleheader. Let’s get to the picks.Odds courtesy ESPN BET Duke -2.5 over Michigan State One of these groups is leaving this game 1-2 on

the season. Duke’s loss to Arizona was understandable. I existed, and the Wildcats were simply too physical. They dominated the glass and heaven Devils had a hard time to protect Oumar Ballo in the post. Offensively, Duke was remarkably selfish and just didn’t share the ball. However those are lessons to be learned in a loss to a top-15 Arizona team with a lot of grown men on it.Capital One Bowl Mania Go ideal in your bowl choices and win up to$1 million, plus more rewards!

Make Your Picks The Spartans, on the other hand, suffered a shocking loss to James Madison to open the season. JMU is a strong mid-major and the favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference, however you can’t lose that game at home. With a whole beginning five of veteran players(Tyson Walker, A.J. Hoggard, Jaden Akins, Mady Sissoko and Malik Hall ), the expectations were sky high for Sparty. However in reality, they were so dependent on Walker because game. He chose 35 points, but anybody even asked to make a play or look at the rim looked incapable down the stretch. They shot 1-for-20 from 3, which was a huge consider that loss. They rebounded from that L to manage Southern Indiana, however once again shot inadequately from beyond the arc. They’re now shooting 6.5 %( 2-for-31)from 3 to start the season, which is concerning.In this matchup, I’m going to lay the points with the Blue Devils. While Michigan State is physical, it doesn’t have the post

existence to exploit Duke on the interior that Arizona did. Furthermore, I rely on more guys on Duke to make plays and rating in numerous methods. I believe it will be tight with easy shots difficult to come by, but Duke -2.5 is the play.

Kansas-Kentucky OVER 146.5

This match is remarkable, as it features an old, grizzled Kansas team against a young, injured Kentucky group. The Wildcats might have more future pros in D.J. Wagner, Justin Edwards and Rob Dillingham, however I think Kansas is absolutely the much better team right now. The Jayhawks have 3 graduates on their squad, led by Dajuan Harris Jr., who is one of the best point guards in the country (and already a nationwide title winner); Kevin McCullar Jr., an elite, two-way wing; and Hunter Dickinson, among the very best bigs in the nation. Kentucky, on the other hand, has more raw skill but is diminished on the interior due to injury and eligibility problems, so 6-foot-9 Tre Mitchell presently provides the most size on its roster.When things look this uneven on paper, I do get worried about the line. It’s not a lot to lay, however Wildcats do have an elite coach in John Calipari and top-level skill. I lean to Expense Self and KU to cover, but my favorite play in this game is over 146.5. The brand-new block/charge rule is affecting the game. You can no longer simply step under a guy who’s in the air. You have to be set when his plant foot strikes the ground, and we have actually seen the effect of this in the number of blocks called and guys bailing out to enable an effort at the basket. In the 11 games featuring two high-major teams so far, the over is 8-3 and I believe we see that hit once again in this one.