College basketball picks, odds, best bets Friday

On By Littum

Friday night will no. 12 Duke Blue Devils make the long flight from the East Coast to the Southwest for a date with No. 17 Arizona Wildcats.

This matchup marks another opportunity for the country to get a good look at Cooper Flagg, the likely top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

So far, Flagg has led the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game.

Can the Blue Devils get their first ranked win of the season after failing to hold off Kentucky, or will the Wildcats bounce back at home after a road loss to Wisconsin?

Duke vs. Arizona odds

(10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Duke +1.5 (-108) +100 o161 (-112)
Arizona -1.5 (-112) -120 u161 (-108)
Odds via Draftkings

Duke vs Arizona prediction

Flagg’s transition from high school to college basketball has been virtually seamless as he has already established himself as one of the best players in the sport.

At 6-foot-9, Flagg can play and defend multiple positions, giving him the versatility to fit into any role at the next level.

Duke’s offensive talent doesn’t end with Flagg, however, as it has other future pros such as junior guard Tyrese Proctor, freshman center Khaman Maluach and freshman wing Kon Knueppel.

Even with a loss, the Blue Devils still rank fourth in adjusted efficiency margin (KenPom) and second in adjusted defensive efficiency.


Duke guard Tyrese Proctor during a game against Wofford.
Duke guard Tyrese Proctor during a game against Wofford. Zachary Taft-Imagn pictures

The Blue Devils are terrifying. They lost by five points to Kentucky despite shooting a putrid 4-for-24 from 3-point land and a pair of critical Flagg turnovers late in the game.

It’s further proof that this team is a legitimate title contender come March.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats continue to be among the nation’s fastest and most efficient teams, ranking fourth in adjusted pace and 14th in adjusted offensive efficiency.

Their trio of returning guards, including Jaden Bradley, Caleb Love and KJ Lewis, can add pressure in transition as well as any unit in college basketball, as evidenced by the team’s 94.3 points per game average. match.

Not surprisingly, Arizona is once again one of the best rebounding teams, ranking first in offensive rebound percentage and overall rebound rate.

Still, I have the Blue Devils narrowly squeaking by Arizona on the road.


The Wildcats are among the nation's fastest and most efficient teams.
The Wildcats are among the nation’s fastest and most efficient teams. Getty Images

Duke vs Arizona pick

Arizona looked sloppy against Wisconsin, giving up backdoor cuts, straight-line drives, open 3-point looks and a game-high 41 points to John Tonje.

The Wildcats (317th in fouls per game) also penalized Wisconsin an absurd amount, putting it at the charity stripe for 41 free throw attempts.

Imagine what Flagg, Proctor, Knueppel and Caleb Foster can do to the Wildcats.

Bet on College Basketball?

And that’s where the stars could align for Duke’s shooter (11th in 3PAs), as positive regression is inevitable, especially since the Wildcats have been suspect defending the 3-point line.

Currently, Duke is the more disciplined team, holding opponents to just 25.7% shooting from behind and turning the ball over less than 10 times per possession. match.

I’ll take Duke with the points.

THE PICK: Duke +1.5 (-108, DraftKings)

Why Trust New York Post Bets

Andrew Norton disabled NBA, WNBA, NFL, college basketball and football, UFC and golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he posted an outstanding ROI of 14.1%, cashed in 60% of his NBA spread picks and led Tallysight in its SportsIQ metric.