The Arizona Wildcats have had to wait a week but now they’re ready to host the Duke Blue Devils in a huge non-conference matchup at the McKale Center on Friday.
The No. 17 Wildcats (2-1) had fans camping out on Thursday night in the hopes of getting a ticket for one of the biggest home games Arizona has ever hosted in nonconference.
Head coach Tommy Lloyd, meanwhile, wants to get that sour taste of losing out of his team’s mouths after they fell to Wisconsin on the road a week ago.
Yes, Arizona has had a week to think about that dispiriting loss to the Badgers in Madison.
No. 21 Duke (3-1) has already played a couple of power conference teams and they’re working hard to integrate their preseason all-America freshman forward Cooper Flagg, who has already shown flashes of being a player that can make a huge impact this season.
Here’s how you can catch the game and how it is expected to play out.
How To Watch Arizona vs. Duke
The No. 17 Arizona Wildcats (2-1) will face the No. 12 Duke Blue Devils (3-1) in a men’s college basketball showdown on Friday, November 22, 2024, at the McKale Memorial Center, in Tucson, Ariz.
Date: Friday, November 22, 2024
Time: 9:30 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPN2
Streaming: ESPN+ (regional restrictions may apply)
City: Tucson, Ariz.
Venue: McKale Memorial Center
Arizona vs. Duke Basketball Betting Info
Line: ARIZ (-1.5) (Opened at ARIZ -1.5 on Nov. 22, 2024)
Over/Under: 156.5 (Opened at 156.5 on Nov. 22, 2024)
Arizona vs. Duke: Prediction and Projections
Arizona has nice balance at the moment, with guard Caleb Love leading the Wildcats at 3.0 assists per game. Jaden Bradley has emerged as Arizona’s leading scorer early with 14.7 ppg, while Tobe Awaka is averaging 12.3 rebounds. All three are in double figures in scoring, along with guard KJ Lewis. Arizona will focus on defense after allowing 103 points against Wisconsin.
Flagg has integrated himself quickly into everything Duke wants to do. The potential one-and-done freshman leads the Blue Devils with 16.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. It’s a solid trifecta for the forward who many see as a stretch four at the next level. He’s proven to be a solid shooter, but there is room to improve on a 44.2% shooting rate so far in 2024-25.
HCS Prediction: Arizona 81, Duke 80
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Duke (55.7% Chance of Winning)
Odds Shark Predicted Score: Duke 76.8, Arizona 75.8
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
