Kansas vs. Duke Prediction & Odds Tonight: College Basketball Betting Preview for Nov. 18

My Kansas vs. Duke prediction sets the stage for the nightcap of Tuesday’s Champions Classic doubleheader in Madison Square Garden in New York on ESPN. The action gets underway at 9 p.m. ET.

No. 5 Duke (4-0) is an 11.5-point favorite against No. 24 Kansas (3-1), which could be without its best player. Darryn Peterson, a potential No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA Draft, has missed back-to-back games. According to reports earlier today, he's set to miss tonight's tilt.

✅ Kansas vs. Duke prediction & expert picks

See all of our experts' college basketball picks this week.

🏀 Kansas vs. Duke preview & score prediction

This is the biggest underdog that Kansas has been in 26 years. The last time the Jayhawks were getting more than 9.5 points was when they closed +10.5 in the Round of 32 against Duke on March 19, 2000.

Life without Peterson could prove to be difficult against Duke on Tuesday.

Will the Jayhawks be able to score?

I’m most concerned with KU’s ability to score without Peterson. In the last two games with him sidelined, the Jayhawks scored 76 against Princeton and 77 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

That’s why it’s not shocking to see KU’s team total trading at 68.5 at our best sports betting sites. Evan Miya’s projections (which account for injuries) have the Jayhawks finishing with 68.8 points in 67.8 possessions.

KU’s best chance at keeping this from getting ugly is to slow the game down. Kansas has ranked 211th in adjusted tempo this season, marking the team’s slowest pace since 2020.

Duke (162nd in tempo) plays fast on offense, but its ninth-ranked defense has made opposing teams average 18.6 seconds per possession (341st). For context, the national average possession time is 16.9 seconds.

I’m projecting a slug fest in the first half before the Blue Devils pull away after the break.

Score prediction: Duke 78, Kansas 67

🆚 Kansas vs. Duke matchup to watch

Flory Bidunga vs. Cameron Boozer

Without Peterson, the pressure is on Flory Bidunga to deliver as the only returning rotation player from last year’s Kansas team. Bidunga did just that against Princeton, finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

However, he's struggled with consistency. He scored 20 total points in his previous two games before that Princeton performance. He can often battle foul trouble, while also lacking the post moves this early in his career to produce consistently.

A matchup against Duke’s Cameron Boozer, a high pick in next year’s NBA Draft, feels like a spot for another underwhelming performance for Bidunga. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Boozer is averaging 10.3 rebounds per game.

I like this Under for Bidunga, netting $8 on a $10 bet.

My colleague, Mike Spector, likes another play on Boozer in his college basketball best bets.

Best prop bet: Flory Bidunga Under 25.5 points + rebounds (-125 via FanDuel)

📊 Kansas vs. Duke odds

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📺 How to watch Kansas vs. Duke

• Date: Tuesday, Nov. 18
• Tipoff: 9 p.m. ET
• Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
• TV: ESPN