Duke Blue Devils vs California Golden Bears Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/14/2026

 

Game Time: 11:00 pm ET, Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Venue:  Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA

Where to Watch:  ACC Network

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Duke -11.5, Cal +11.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Duke -11.5, Cal +11.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Duke -11.5, Cal +11.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points

Duke Blue Devils:  15-1 (4-0) (1st place, ACC)

California Golden Bears:  13-4 (1-3) (13th place, ACC)

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Duke Blue Devils:  4-1  last 5

California Golden Bears:  2-3  last 5

Duke is entering this game with a 15-1 record overall, a 4-0 record in conference games, and they are 4-0 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the SMU Mustangs in their last game. Isaiah Evans led the team in points in that game with 21 while Cameron Boozer was next on the team with 18. Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer, and Nikolas Khamenia each led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Cameron Boozer led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 49% from the field, 42.3% from 3-point range, and 77.8% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 86.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 66.6 PPG against them. Duke has an ATS record of 8-8 this season and their O/U record is 6-10.

California is entering this game with a 13-4 record overall, a 1-3 conference record, and they are 12-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Virginia Tech Hokies in their last game. Dai Dai Ames led the team in points in that game with 21 while Chris Bell was next on the team with 12. Miloš Ilić led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Lee Dort led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 44.6% from the field, 30% from 3-point range, and 90.5% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 79.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 70 PPG against them. California has an ATS record of 8-8 this season and their O/U record is 8-8.

The current betting odds have Duke listed as an 11.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Duke has looked great in their games this season with their 15-1 record overall and their 4-0 conference record which has them right at the top of the ACC. They have been a good road team too with their 4-0 road record this season. Meanwhile, California has looked good in their games this season with their 13-4 record overall, but their 1-3 conference record has them in the bottom half of the ACC. They have looked great on their home court though with their 12-1 home record this season. California was rolling to start the season, but they also had a really weak schedule and haven't looked good as the schedule has gotten tougher in conference play. They are off another loss to Virginia Tech in their last one and they are 2-3 in their last 5 games. Even their 1 home loss this season was in the ACC against Louisville, and they weren't even in that game right from the start. Now they have to face one of the best teams in the ACC, and Duke is also one of the best teams in the nation with the talent they have. They did take a loss to Texas Tech in a tight game, but they have been rolling since then with 4 wins in a row now. They are off a win over SMU in their last one and they have some really good wins against SMU and Louisville in their last 2 games, winning both games by 7 or more points. California has been propped up by a really weak schedule to start the season, but they aren't nearly as good as their record suggests, so look for Duke to roll over them here. The best way to place a bet here is on Duke to cover the spread in this game. 

Duke California Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Wednesday, January 14, 2026 (11:00 pm ET start time) is Duke 88 California 74.

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Duke Blue Devils: 16-6 ATS as a road favorite or pick. 15-4 ATS off a home win against a conference rival. 22-12 ATS versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 5-1 UNDER as a road favorite of 6.5 to 12 points.

California Golden Bears: 18-25 ATS in all home games. 5-9 ATS at home versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 3-7 ATS at home versus good passing teams, averaging 16 assists/game or more. 6-3 1H UNDER as a home underdog or pick.

Duke Blue Devils:  I. Ufochukwu (C) Questionable - Undisclosed. S. Wilkins (G-F) Out - Redshirt.

California Golden Bears:  S. Marbury (G) Questionable - Undisclosed. S. Yeanay (F) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Ruff (G) Questionable - Undisclosed. R. Petraitis (F) Questionable - Undisclosed.

“Collectively, it’s not there at the moment. It’s hard to feel very good when they shoot 56 percent from the field all game.” - Jon Scheyer on his team’s defense this season. 

“Duke’s having a great year. We’re having a strong year also. (We’re) coming off a tough road trip, but we played a lot better in game two. I’m excited about the game, and I’m excited about the crowd, and our guys are ready to go.” - Mark Madsen on his team’s upcoming game against Duke.

C. Boozer 

I. Evans 

C. Foster 

P. Ngongba 

D. Sarr

D. Ames 

C. Bell 

J. Camden 

L. Dort 

J. Pippen

PPG: Cameron Boozer (22.9)

APG: Cameron Boozer (4.2)

Reb/G: Cameron Boozer (9.5)

PPG: Dai Dai Ames (17.8)

APG: Justin Pippen (4.1)

Reb/G: Lee Dort (7.5)

Coaches:

Duke Blue Devils: Jon Scheyer (4th season)

California Golden Bears: Mark Madsen (3rd season)