Duke vs. Yale Prediction, Game Preview
Duke vs. Yale prediction and game preview for when the No. 6-ranked Blue Devils host the Bulldogs in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Yale Bulldogs will travel to Durham, N.C. to visit the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils. Below is the Duke vs. Yale prediction and game preview.
Duke vs. Yale Game Preview
Game Broadcast
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 25
Game Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, N.C.
Network: ESPNU
Why You Need To Care
Duke just keeps looking better and better. After a tough loss to Kentucky last week, the Blue Devils got past Virginia Commonwealth and Georgetown to improve to 4-1 on the season. Oh, and all three of those games 
Yale started the season with three consecutive wins against Fairfield, Sacred Heart and Lehigh, but that streak ended with a loss to SMU on Sunday. The Bulldogs are an excellent offensive-rebounding team with 67 already collected.
The Bulldogs might not have the size to match up with the Blue Devils, but they certainly can shoot the ball (40.5 percent from three). This one could be closer than one would think.
Why Duke Will Win
After losing to Kentucky, the Blue Devils bounced back by shooting 70 free throws and knocking down 47 of them in their last two games. That mixed in with the fact Duke is the 15th-best offensive-rebounding team in the country with 74 collected will give it the edge. The Blue Devils are also one of the nastiest shot-blocking teams in the country with 4.8 per game, so it’ll be hard for Yale to get anything near the bucket.
Why Yale Will Win
Like Duke, Yale also has a knack for crashing the offensive glass. It already has 67 offensvie rebounds in four games. And in order to win, the Bulldogs will have to steal some of those rebounds and get some second-chance looks at the rim. Duke has the size advantage, so the Bulldogs will have to keep a low center of gravity, fight for position and read the ball off the rim. Aside from that, they need to knock down the long ball. Duke allows its opponents to shoot 41.4 percent from three, and Yale averages 19.75 three-point attempts per game. That seems to be its best chance to steal one in Durham.
Players Who Matter
His name will continue to be echoed over and over again this season, so you should really just expect to hear it whenever Duke plays. Grayson Allen is far-and-wide the most important player for Mike Krzyzewski. In the loss to Kentucky, Allen only had 6 points on 2-of-11 shooting. But he went off for 62 points combined in his next two games. Aside from him, Duke has gotten a huge contribution from Amile Jefferson both in the scoring column and on the glass. He and Marshall Plumlee continue to form a dynamic duo on the block for Coach K.
As for Yale, it’s going to turn to a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard from Greenfield, Mass., and his name is Makai Mason. He’s leading the team in scoring with 20 points per game, but he’s doing it fairly effciently with 44.9 percent shooting from the field and 42.9 percent from three. The Bulldogs also need more from senior forward Justin Sears, who’s only averaging 5.5 rebounds per game. Sears is going to be in for the battle of his life against Duke’s bigs.
What’s Going To Happen?
Yale will get some shots in. It won’t be complete demolition, but it will be a win for the Blue Devils. Allen has hit the 30-point mark twice in a row, and he’ll get close to doing it a third time. The Blue Devils will limit the amount of triples the Bulldogs knock down, control the boards and make it three wins in a row.
Duke vs. Yale Prediction
Robert Judin: Duke 85, Yale 73
Jordan Cornette: Duke 84, Yale 77
Line: Duke -13, o/u: 149
