No. 2 Duke and No. 5 Michigan State will open the 2026 Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Both teams enter the matchup unbeaten at 2-0.
Team Form
Duke has rolled to blowout victories over Army and Coastal Carolina, the latter a 113-point outburst. The Blue Devils are led by frontcourt presence Patrick Ngongba II, who averages 19 points and 8 rebounds per game, alongside playmakers Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr.
Michigan State has dispatched Quinnipiac and Toledo, scoring 91 and 96 points respectively. Preseason national player of the year contender Jeremy Fears Jr. directs the offense with 12.5 points and 10 assists per game under coach Tom Izzo.
Series History
Duke holds a 16-4 all-time edge and won last year's meeting 66-60.
Betting Outlook
Duke is a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 147.5 points. The money line lists Duke at -340 and Michigan State at +280. The SportsLine projection model leans toward the over, projecting a combined 149 points and indicating the over hits in 57% of simulations. The model also shows one side of the spread covering in well over 60% of simulations.
