Duke vs. Oral Roberts NCAA Tournament Round 1: How to watch, odds and predictions for March Madness

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 11: Kyle Filipowski #30 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after a sunk Virginia Cavaliers in the second half of the ACC Basketball Tournament Championship game at Greensboro Coliseum on March 11, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Duke won 59-49. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Duke superstar Kyle Filipowski’s versatility and size have helped overwhelm and bedevil many of the Blue Devils’ opponents during their recent hot streak, but is his size a match for Oral Roberts’ 7-5 forward Connor Vanover? Duke vs. Oral Roberts could end up being one of the sneaky weirdest first-round matchups in this year’s March Madness tournament.

Despite most picking the Blue Devils to make it all the way to the Elite 8, Final 4 or further (as anyone who watched ESPN’s Sunday Night Bracketology show knows), there’s also a distinct possibility of an upset brewing at the Amway Center in Orlando, FL on Thursday night.

How to watch Duke vs. Oral Roberts in the NCAA Tournament Round 1

Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 7:10 pm ET
Channel: CBS
Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live, fuboTV
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Matt Bonner, Stan Van Gundy and Lauren Shehadi

Duke vs. Oral Roberts NCAA Tournament Round 1 odds

According to FanDuel, Duke is a -6.5 favorite as of this writing, a line you can grab at -110. Oral Roberts covering +6.5 points is also available at -110. Betting on Duke is always a prominent national pastime, whether you’re a diehard fan or a hater hedging against your own pain if they’re victorious.

If you prefer the moneyline, you can currently grab Duke at -275 and Oral Roberts at +220. The O/U in total points is 145.5, and the odds are -110 for both directions.

Duke vs. Oral Roberts NCAA Tournament Round 1 prediction

Duke is inflamed enough these days under Jon Scheyer’s steady leadership that most of the basketball world seems to believe they’re uniquely suited to skate past Oral Roberts, upend Tennessee and No. 1 seed Purdue, then likely defeat Marquette to reach the Final Four and beyond.

However, don’t write off Oral Roberts. Remember how Max Abmas fueled their extended run past Ohio State and the rest of the field two years ago? He’s still here, and he averaged 22.2 points per game in his senior year.

Odds are Duke will still come up victorious here, but expect their patented brand of March drama rather than an easy victory.

Prediction: Duke 77, Oral Roberts 75

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