The No. 10 Baylor Bears and No. 21 Duke Blue Devils will meet on the big stage of Madison Square Garden in New York on Wednesday night as part of the 2023 SentinelOne Classic. The Bears (9-1), who tied for third in the Big 12 Conference with Kansas State at 11-7 and were 23-11 a year ago, will look to get back on track following an 88-64 loss at Michigan State on Saturday. The Blue Devils (7-3), who tied for third in the Atlantic Coast Conference with Clemson and Pittsburgh at 14-6 and were 27-9 overall in 2022-23, have won two in a row, including an 89-68 victory over Hofstra on Dec. 12.
The game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET. Baylor is averaging 88.4 points per game, while Duke averages 81.6. The Blue Devils are 3-point favorites in the latest Baylor vs. Duke odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 153. Before making any Duke vs. Baylor picks, you’ll want to see the college basketball predictions from SportsLine’s proven model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 7 of the 2023-24 season on a 100-63 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $2,000 for $100 players. It is also off to a sizzling 12-4 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Duke vs. Baylor. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Baylor vs. Duke:
Duke vs. Baylor spread: Duke -3Duke vs. Baylor over/under: 153 pointsDuke vs. Baylor money line: Duke -159, Baylor +134BAY: The Bears have hit the first-half game total over in 21 of their last 33 games (+7.05 units)DUKE: The Blue Devils are 5-5 ATS this seasonDuke vs. Baylor picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Duke can cover
Sophomore forward Mark Mitchell has been a steady performer for the Blue Devils. He is coming off a 14-point, six-rebound and two-assist effort in the victory over Hofstra. Mitchell scored a career-high 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting against Bucknell on Nov. 17. Duke is 20-2 when Mitchell, who is on the watch list for the Julius Erving Award, scores 10 or more points.
Making a big impact as a freshman is guard Jared McCain. He poured in 13 points, while grabbing four rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes of action against Hofstra. He was a five-star guard out of Centennial High School in Corona, Calif. McCain scored a season-high 21 points against Charlotte on Dec. 9, making 7 of 13 shots from the field, including three 3-pointers. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Baylor can cover
The Bears have been led by freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter. In 10 games this season, he is averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 assists in 28 minutes of action. He has been solid from the floor and at the line, connecting on 41.2% of his field goals, including 37.3% from 3-point range, and 88.9% from the free throw line. He was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 13, becoming the first Baylor freshman to win the award.
Also helping ignite the Bears offense is senior guard RayJ Dennis. He is in his first season at Baylor after spending the past two at Toledo. In 10 starts, he is averaging 13.9 points, 6.6 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He has registered one double-double on the year, scoring 14 points and dishing out 10 assists in a 108-70 win over Nicholls in just 23 minutes of action. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Baylor vs. Duke picks
The model has simulated this matchup 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Duke vs. Baylor, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 100-63 roll on its top-ranked college basketball picks, and find out.
