Duke is a slight favorite over Kentucky in 2021-22 season-opener
Duke will open its 2021-22 season against Kentucky on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The matchup will be a high-profile meeting of two of the sports’ titans. Vegas is anticipating a close game, too. The Blue Devils are currently 1-point favorites over UK, according to DraftKings.
These teams figure to be two of the nation’s best this season. Duke is at No. 9 in the preseason KenPom rankings, while Kentucky comes in at No. 16.
Duke will be led by 5-star freshman Paolo Banchero, who is in the mix to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Blue Devils also have a veteran presence led by junior Wendell Moore and sophomore Mark Williams. Point guard Jeremy Roach is entering his sophomore season, too.
In addition to Banchero, this freshman class includes 5-stars AJ Griffin and Trevor Keels. Griffin is the son of former NBA player — and current Toronto Raptors assistant — Adrian Griffin.
Kentucky has a talented roster as well, led by transfer big man Oscar Tshiebwe and freshman guard TyTy Washington.
Tip off is at 9:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.