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We’ve got our first official spread for the Champions Classic.
Bet Rivers has the Duke Blue Devils favored by 1.5 points over the Kentucky Wildcats in Tuesday’s regular-season opener. The other Champions Classic matchup has the Kansas Jayhawks favored by five points over the Michigan State Spartans.
For what it’s worth, Stadium’s Jeff Goodman likes the underdogs.
Early lines for the Champions Classic, per @BetRivers:
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 3, 2021
Kansas -5 over Michigan State
Duke -1.5 over Kentucky
I’m all about the dogs in both games.
The Wildcats will be a Champions Classic underdogs for the third-straight year while looking for their second win over Duke since the event began, the last coming in 2015.
The Wildcats are just 2-6 all-time vs. Coach K, and that 2015 win is actually their only regular-season triumph over the Hall of Fame coach. The other win was that memorable 1998 NCAA Tournament comeback in the Elite Eight. Good times.
This may very well be the final time Kentucky faces Mike Krzyzewski, the Duke head coach is embarking on his final season before entering retirement in 2022. The Blue Devils begin the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25 Poll, while Kentucky is one spot behind them at No. 10.
So, are you picking the Cats to cover the spread and win outright? Let us know in the comments section!
And as always, gamble responsibly.