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The Army Black Knights take on the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, NC. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Duke is favored by 44.5 points on the spread, and the total is set at 157.5 points.
Here's my Army vs. Duke predictionand college basketball picks for November 2, 2026.
Pick: Duke -42.5
My Army vs Duke best betis on the Blue Devils to cover the spread. Be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page and download the Action Network app for the latest picks and analysis.
Army Basketball
Army returns four starters from a season ago, meaning plenty of these guys remember the 114-59 blowout loss to this same Duke team. The bruises may be gone, but the scars are forever. That could bring some extra grit to Kevin Kuwik's squad.
Despite being the worst shooting team in the Patriot League, the Black Knights return their top shooter, Jacen Holloway , who averaged 10.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while drilling 51% from the floor.
Army has been remarkably consistent, finishing above .500 in five of the last six seasons.
This should be a far more polished group heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
Duke Basketball
Duke hasn't even played a real game yet, and the hype is already through the roof following its 103-64 win over Tennessee on Oct. 20 in a preseason exhibition matchup.
The Blue Devils added a ton of talent, most notably former Badger John Blackwell , to go along with a highly touted freshman class.
In Lindy's College Basketball Preview, Michael Bradley notes, "(John) Scheyer's biggest problem could be keeping all the talent happy."
This roster might not have a massive standout future NBA draft pick like Cameron Boozer , but from top to bottom, the Blue Devils will, once again, be a force.
Good luck scoring, Black Knights! Army will start its 2026-27 season in hell. The Duke Blue Devils will once again have a fully loaded roster destined for another national title run.
Through three exhibition games in October, Duke outscored its opponents by an average of 28.3 points. Who did they play? Belmont , Tennessee and Kansas , whom the Blue Devils only beat by six points.
This is a matchup where you see the far superior team and back it to cover. There's no reason for Duke to coast in this spot. Scheyer and his boys should be ready to go and get their season off and running.
For me personally, in these early-season matchups, when teams inside the top 10 are playing opponents ranked more than 300 spots below them, the number is most likely not high enough.
I'm almost always leaning toward the massive favorite unless there's a lookahead spot. If that's the case, I'm just staying away.
Duke has Coastal Carolina on Thursday. The Blue Devils aren't looking ahead.
The Blue Devils have played Army in the first week of the season in back-to-back years, winning by at least 42 points in each game.
An alternative bet worth looking into, if the number drops, is Army's team total under. I'd take anything above 54 points.
Pick: Duke -42.5
