I like Kentucky and the points for a few reasons. The Wildcats are a deeper team than Duke and return two of their top players from last season in Davion Mintz (11.5 points per game) and Keion Brooks (10.3 PPG, 6.8 rebounds per game). They also added West Virginia transfer Oscar Tshiebwe (8.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG) and Iowa transfer CJ Fredrick, who gives them a sharpshooter off the bench. Duke will have to rely heavily on two highly touted freshmen in Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin. I think Kentucky will outrebound and outshoot the Blue Devils, with a good chance to win the game outright.

Obviously it's a challenge handicapping a college basketball team's first game of the season -- this is part of the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden -- and both these programs hugely underachieved last season. Duke does bring three starters back and should have the best player on the floor in freshman Paolo Banchero, very possibly the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. UK might be without one key transfer in Iowa's CJ Fredrick, a great three-point shooter. Then there's the Mike Krzyzewski factor. You think his players don't want to win Coach K's final-ever season opener? Tuesday marks Coach K's 1,400th game as Duke's head coach. The Blue Devils are 39-2 in season openers under Krzyzewski, including winning 21 straight. Welcome back college hoops!