College basketball picks: Louisville vs. Duke, Arizona vs. BYU odds, best bets for Monday, Jan. 26
Here's how the SportsLine Projection Model sees Louisville vs. Duke and Arizona vs. BYU playing out on Monday
College basketball fans and bettors will be able to take in a high-profile doubleheader on Monday, Jan. 26 with the No. 20 Louisville Cardinals battling the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils before the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats meet the No. 13 BYU Cougars. In addition to shaking up the rankings and potentially seeing one unbeaten team go down, this doubleheader features two of the top NBA draft prospects in Duke's Cameron Boozer and BYU's AJ Dybantsa.
We'll take a look at both matchups on the hardwood and provide recommendations from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times.
No. 20 Louisville vs. No. 4 Duke (7 p.m. ET)
These squads met on Jan. 6, with Duke winning 84-73 as Boozer, Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster combined for 70 points. Ryan Conwell, Louisville's leading scorer, had 24 points but was inefficient, going 8-for-19 from the floor in the setback. Conwell got a key running mate back in Louisville's win over Virginia Tech as Mikel Brown Jr. came back from a month-long absence. Brown led the team with 20 points in that game and is averaging 16.9 this season. Duke is built around Boozer, currently projected to be the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Blue Devils have won seven in a row to open ACC play, including three straight wins by double digits.
The SportsLine Projection Model has the Blue Devils as 7.5-point favorites with the total coming in at 157.5. The model has Duke covering in 52% of simulations but sees value on the Cardinals on the money line with Louisville winning in 28% of simulations as a +328 underdog. The Under on 157.5 hits in 52.7% of simulations.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 13 BYU (9 p.m. ET)
The Wildcats are 20-0, ranking fourth in offensive efficiency and third in defensive efficiency in KenPom. Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd has been successful in his short time in Tucson, reaching the Sweet 16 in three of his four seasons at the helm. However, the goal with this team will be to win the national championship. The Wildcats have won five of their seven Big 12 games by double digits, including a 35-point blowout over West Virginia. BYU presents a big challenge, especially with the Cougars playing at home. They are 11-0 in Provo, most recently dominating Utah behind 43 points from Dybantsa. He's going to be challenged against Arizona's defense, but the Cougars aren't a one-man show. They rank 12th in offensive efficiency on KenPom, with Richie Saunders and Robert Wright III capable of delivering big scoring efforts.
Arizona is a slight 1.5-point favorite in the latest SportsLine consensus odds, with the total coming in at 165.5. The model likes the Cougars to end Arizona's unbeaten run, covering in 68% of simulations and winning in 55%. The model also likes the Under on 165.5 as it hits in 64.6% of simulations.
