Wednesday 13th November 2013. 11:30 AEST LIVE on ESPN
CHAMPIONS CLASSIC
UNITED CENTER, CHICAGO,ILLINOIS
College Basketball is in full flight with most teams either two or three games into the season. Today we are treated with 4 of the best teams, starting with 1 vs 2 in Kentucky at Michigan State. Both games will play out like a "March Madness" Tournament game. Live coverage tips off at 11:30 AEST on ESPN.
Kentucky (1) at Michigan State (2)
The Clash of the Titans. Well that's what it will feel like for Michigan State. This Kentucky team looks like an NBA team. They are BIG. Very Very Big, but also young. Head Coach John Calipari is not convinced they are ready to beat MSU and stated this game will test his young Wildcats.
Kentucky leads the all time series with MSU 12-10. However games are traditionally very tight. Overtime and even double overtime are not foreign to these rivals.
Julius Randle, the possible No.1 overall pick is a player that will embrace this type of situation and will be the difference in such a tight matchup. He's averaging 22.5 PPG with 14.5 rebounds. This game is going to be played very hard and fast. We dont think there will be a blowout victory for either team. We are leaning towards the UNDER 144.5
BET ON : KENTUCKY WILDCATS +3.5
Duke (4) at Kansas (5)
This is only the 2nd meeting in the last 11 years between Duke and Kansas. However Duke does lead the all time series 7-2 with the last game in 2011 going the way of Duke 68-61.
This game looks to be overshadowed by the "PRODIGY", Andrew Wiggins of Kansas is already being compared to LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Wiggins is a freshman straight from high school and most likely going to be a one-and-done college player with the NBA set to gobble him up. Duke have their own superstar in Jabari Parker. He started his college debut with 22 points, six rebounds in just 23 minutes plus he went to the same high school as Derrick Rose. Which begs the question, What's in the water at Simeon Academy?
As Always Duke are a well coached and strong basketball team. They always seem to get up for a "Big moment". The question is . Is this a big moment this early in the year? Its hard to say. We will be watching this game for WIGGINS VS PARKER. With only a LEAN towards DUKE -5.0.