The Duke Blue Devils take on the Cal Bears in Berkeley, CA. Tip-off is set for 11 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
Duke is favored by 11.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -750. The total is set at 152.5 points.
Here’s my Duke vs. Cal predictions and college basketball picks for January 15, 2026.
Duke vs Cal Prediction
My Pick: Duke -11.5
My Duke vs Cal best bet is on the Blue Devils to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Duke vs. Cal Odds
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11.5 -105 | 152.5 -110 / -110 | -750 |
| Cal Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11.5 -115 | 152.5 -110 / -110 | +525 |
- Duke vs Cal spread: Duke -11.5
- Duke vs Cal over/under: 152.5 points
- Duke vs Cal moneyline: Duke -750, California +525
Duke vs Cal College Basketball Betting Preview
Duke Basketball
Duke is 15-1 overall and 4-0 in the ACC despite continuing to start games slow. The Blue Devils are coming off an 82-75 win against SMU in which they started the game down 11-0.
Cam Boozer continues to be as good as advertised, while Isaiah Evans has found himself playing the best basketball of his career to start ACC play. Evans is averaging 22 points per game while shooting 16-of-39 (41%) from three in ACC games.
Though Duke continues to have inconsistencies on the defensive end, Dame Sarr has been a bright spot for the Blue Devils in the last two games. Sarr has the quickness to stay with a shifty guard, the size to play against scoring wings and the wingspan to contest any shot as the offensive player tries to create separation.
Usually teams start hot when playing at home, but opponents have been the ones to do so at Cameron Indoor all season. Maybe a West Coast trip is exactly what Duke needs to heat up and play 40 minutes of good defense.
Cal Basketball
Cal is 13-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC after dropping its last two games to Virginia and Virginia Tech. Coach Mark Madsen has done a good job in his third year, as he's already matched his first season's win total (13) and is one win within last season's mark (14).
Cal is a good 3-point shooting team and is playing a defense that's given up 43 made 3s in ACC play. Dai Dai Ames is the Bears' leading scorer, as he's averaging almost 18 points per game while scoring in double figures in 15 of 17 games on the season.
Justin Pippen is one name to watch because he's a volatile scorer. Pippen is coming off a 4-of-18 performance at Virginia Tech and has shot the ball 45% or better from the field in only four games this season.
If Duke's defense continues to allow open 3-pointers, I wouldn't be surprised if Pippen has one of his best shooting performances of the season.
Duke vs. Cal Betting Analysis
I'm interested to see how the Duke and Cal frontcourts match up.
Boozer is Boozer, Patrick Ngongba II is coming off a career high of 17 points against SMU, and Duke has Maliq Brown, who I call Swiper due to his ability to swipe the ball away from any player on the court.
Cal has Syracuse transfer Chris Bell, who's been a proven scorer in some games this season, John Camden, who loves to shoot the 3, and Lee Dort, who leads the team in rebounding.
The matchup to watch for me is Duke against Camden. Camden is a stretch big, averaging 13 points per game while shooting 38% from 3 on 6.6 attempts a night. He has eight games this season where he's made three or more 3-pointers, but so far in conference play, Camden is shooting 7-of-33 from the field and 3-of-24 from 3.
If Camden continues to struggle from the field against Duke, and Sarr makes it difficult for Ames to score the ball, then Duke will be in a good spot to not only win this game but to cover the spread.
My Pick: Duke -11.5
