The Kentucky Wildcats and the Duke Blue Devils are close to tipping off in one of the premier games of the season. They will be participating in the State Farm Champions Classic in Atlanta, Georgia, alongside Michigan State and Kansas, who will tip off in the first game of the two-game classic. Duke and Kentucky are set to begin at 9 p.m., pending the closing of the Spartans and Jayhawks.

According to FanDuel, the early odds that came in on Sunday are set at 6.5 in favor of Duke. This makes sense, as Duke is listed as the #7 team in the nation, while Kentucky is #23. There is a lot of early season hype around the Blue Devils, with one of the projected top picks in the NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg, on the team. Duke features a couple of other impressive freshmen in Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach.

Kentucky, on the other hand, was considered a bit of a wildcard team as it has an entirely new coaching staff and roster. While it is veteran-heavy, many rankings and analysts weren’t really quite sure what to do with it. After two 100-point games and very lopsided victories for the Wildcats in their first games, many are wondering if they can take it to Duke. With the odds being only 6.5 to open in favor of the Blue Devils, this means that Kentucky is starting to turn heads.

Duke is the favorite at 6.5.

Let’s throw together a bit of a prediction for this game after the early odds were announced.

I think Kentucky will surprise a lot of people this year. They will surprise Duke with how tight they keep this game and how quickly they can score. This will stress some Blue Devils fans out as this game comes down the stretch. I actually think Kentucky pulls it off in a stunner simply because the veteran energy will engage as the game stays tight. If Duke can pull away early, that would help them win, but if it stays close, Kentucky’s veterans will find a way.

87-83 Kentucky Wildcats