The California Golden Bears get a true “welcome to the ACC” moment when they visit the Duke Blue Devils and Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight.
This is Cal’s first trip to Durham as a member of the conference and it couldn’t come at a worse time for the Golden Bears. They have just one win in their last four games and catch the Blue Devils coming off a rare loss.
Our California vs. Duke predictions expect a big night from the Blue Devils’ stars, including freshman standout Kon Knueppel.
He’s at the center of my best college basketball picks on Wednesday, February 12 at 9 p.m. ET.
California vs Duke prediction
My best bet
Kon Knueppel Over 14.5 points (+110 at bet365)
My analysis
The Duke Blue Devils are back home for the first time since February 1 and the noise of the Cameron Crazies will be a welcome sound to sore ears after dropping a 77-71 loss at Clemson last Saturday.
Kon Knueppel finished with 14 points in that loss, shooting a solid 5-for-9 from the field — and 4-for-6 from 3-point range — in 32 minutes. The five-star freshman has found his footing since the calendar flipped to 2025 and has scored 15 or more points in five of his last 10 games.
Tonight’s matchup with the California Golden Bears gives Duke a perfect opportunity to get right and let out its frustrations, with this spread in the mid-20s and the game script calling for a return to the win column.
The Golden Bears defense has trouble containing guards, both in transition as well as on the perimeter. California allows foes to shoot 36.7% from beyond the arc (329th), which adds up to almost 21 points against coming from distance.
Knueppel loves playing in Durham, where he averages two points more per game and shoots better than 40% from 3-point range, picking up almost 2.5 triples a contest inside Cameron Indoor.
In his last showing at home, he dropped 22 points on the rival North Carolina Tar Heels. Knueppel finished 7-for-11 from the floor in 35 minutes of play, scoring from outside as well as getting to the charity stripe.
Player projections range from 16.35 to 17.8 points from Knueppel tonight, with my number coming out just shy of 17 points from the 6-foot-7 guard. Not only will he find open looks from deep, but Knueppel is also great at getting to the foul line and cashing in those freebies (88% free-throw shooter).
Cooper Flagg pick: He's a glass man
My best bet
Cooper Flagg Over 6.5 rebounds (-115 at bet365)
My analysis
Cooper Flagg’s rebounding efforts took a hit in the last two games, grabbing five boards in both outings at Syracuse and Clemson. That has his rebounding prop trending down, sitting at 6.5 O/U.
The 6-foot-9 super frosh faces a diminutive Golden Bears roster that tops out at 6-foot-9 and runs thin in reserves thanks to a rash of injuries in the frontcourt. Due to that, California has given up more than 25 defensive rebounds per game over its last three showings.
On the season, Flagg is pulling down 7.7 rebounds per game and before those two five-rebound efforts, he wrangled at least seven in six of eight contests. With Duke’s smothering defense in Durham (holding foes to a sixth-lowest 36.5% shooting rate), Flagg is pulling in closer to eight rebounds per homestand.
Player projections for this ACC clash call for as many as 9.4 rebounds versus Cal, which gives us plenty of room to go Over his current total of 6.5 boards.
California vs Duke same-game parlay (SGP)
Kon Knueppel 15+ points
Kon Knueppel 2+ threes
Cooper Flagg 7+ rebounds
Knueppel loves playing in front of the Crazies and projections all come in at 16 points or higher vs. Cal.
The Golden Bears don’t protect the perimeter and Knueppel averages almost 2.5 triples per game at home.
Flagg gets after it on the glass against a Golden Bears frontcourt running low on big bodies.
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California vs Duke odds
California vs Duke live odds
California vs Duke opening odds
- Spread: California +23.5 (-110) | Duke -23.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: California +5000 | Duke -10000
- Over/Under: Over 142 (-115) | Under 142 (-105)
Odds courtesy of bet365
California vs Duke betting trend to know
Duke has covered the spread in 23 of its last 36 games (+8.70 Units / 22% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for California vs. Duke.
How to watch California vs Duke
| Location | Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC |
| Date | Wednesday, 2-12-2025 |
| Tip-off | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ACC Network |
California vs Duke key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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