Duke vs. SMU prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
01/03/2025 03:39 PM
Two undefeated teams in ACC play face off as Duke visits SMU. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Duke-SMU prediction and pick.
Duke opened the year 2-0, before they fell to Kentucky, as Kentucky made a second-half comeback to win 77-72. After two more wins, they would lose to Kansas but have been great since. They have won seven straight, including a win over a second-ranked Auburn. Further, they have won each of their last four games by 20 or more points. Meanwhile, SMU is also 11-2 on the year. They opened up 3-0 before going 1-3 in the next three with losses to Butler and Mississippi State. Still, they are also on a long winning streak, winning seven in a row. They have not faced the best competition, but do have wins over Virginia and Boston College.
Duke and SMU have faced just four times prior to this. Duke is 3-1 against SMU, but they have not faced since March of 1988. In that game, Duke won the game 94-79.
Here are the Duke-SMU College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Duke-SMU Odds
Duke: -8.5 (-106)
Moneyline: -375
SMU: +8.5 (-114)
Moneyline: +290
Over: 149.5 (-110)
Under: 149.5 (-110)
How to Watch Duke vs. SMU
Time: 2:15 PM ET/ 11:15 AM PT
TV: The CW Network
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Duke Will Cover The Spread/Win
Duke comes in ranked second in KenPom’s efficiency rankings. They are ranked tenth in offensive efficiency while sitting third in defensive efficiency. Duke has been strong on defense this year. They are fourth in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting fourth in opponent effective field goal percentage. Further, they are seventh in opponent-made field goals per game. Duke has also been solid on the glass, sitting 26th in the nation in rebounds per game this year.
Duke forward Cooper Flagg has continues to dominate. He is scoring 16.9 points per game this year while adding 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game this year. He leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks this year. Flagg is joined in the backcourt by Kon Knueppel. Knueppel is scoring 12.2 points per game this year while adding 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. Tyrese Proctor has 11.4 points per game this year while adding 3.5 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists this year.
Meanwhile, Khaman Maluach has been solid in the front court. He is scoring just 7.9 points per game but has 5.2 rebounds per game and 1.1 blocks per game this year. He is joined in the front court this year by Mason Gillis. Gillis has just 4.1 points per game this year while adding 2.3 rebounds per game on the year.
Why SMU Will Cover The Spread/Win
SMU comes in ranked 44th in KenPom’s efficiency rankings. They are ranked 20th in offensive efficiency while sitting 92nd in defensive efficiency. SMU has been strong on offense this year. They are tenth in the nation in points per game, while sitting 20th in effective field goal percentage this year. SMU has also been strong on the glass this year, sitting 15th in the nation in points per game.
Boopie Miller leads the team in points and assists this year. He comes into the game with 15.4 points, while adding 5.9 assists. Further, Miller has 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He is joined in the backcourt by Chuck Harris. Harris has 12.2 points per game while adding 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Finally, B.J. Edwards has been great on defense, leading the team in steals. He has 2.4 steals per game while adding 10.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.
In the front court, it is Matt Cross who leads the way. Cross leads the team in rebounding this year, having 8.2 per game. He also scored 10.7 points per game, while adding 1.8 assists, and a steal. He is joined in the frontcourt by Samet Yigitoglu. Tigitolglu is scoring 9.8 points per game while adding six rebounds, 1.3 assists, and a block per game this year.
Final Duke-SMU Prediction & Pick
This is a clash of styles in this game. Duke is stronger on defense, while SMU is strong on offense. Still, the Duke offense is much better on offense than Duke is on defense. Duke is 60th. in the nation in points per game, and is 45th in the nation in effective field goal percentage. SMU is 129th in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 41st in opponent effective field goal percentage. Duke also has the turnover battle and on the glass in this one. This is a solid SMU squad, but they will not be able to take out Duke in this one.
Final Duke-SMU Prediction & Pick: Duke -8.5 (-106)
The post Duke vs. SMU prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
