Auburn Can Grab Road Win Against Duke

Auburn vs. Duke, 9:15 ET

I want to start by saying that I am a college football fan, but for me, nothing compares to college basketball. We have to wait for Saturday to watch college football and the only issue I have with that is that with a family, watching games all day Saturday and Sunday is almost impossible. We have to wait for a Saturday matchup to see games between top teams. Not with college basketball. We get ranked matchups happening throughout the week and we have another one here as Auburn takes on Duke. 

Auburn comes in ranked as the second-best team in the country and brings a perfect 7-0 record. They have faced some tough opponents already, having beaten Houston, Iowa State, and North Carolina. The only real blemish about those games is that they came on neutral courts, which is still better than winning at home, but not quite as difficult as traveling and playing in front of a rowdy crowd. For the season, Auburn has only played one game that was close, beating Iowa State by just two points. Everything else has been a win of at least five or more, with the majority coming in at 13 or more points. The team is led by Forward Johni Broome who has been doing a bit of everything for them this season, especially lately. Broome has led the team in scoring in five consecutive games, led them in rebounding all five, and assists in three of the five. He hasn't put up a triple double, but has a double-double in all five of the games as well. If Duke can find a way to stop Broome, Auburn could struggle in this one.

Nov 4, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) brings the ball down court against the Maine Black Bears at Cameron Indoor Stadium during the second half. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

If you've been reading my plays in college basketball this season, you're probably familiar with the fact that I've written about this Duke team whenever I've had the chance. To this point in the year, they have been probably exactly what I expected. They are 5-2, still ranked, but not quite the best team in the country. Their team is certainly well balanced, and Cooper Flagg looks like he deserves to be the #1 overall pick in the draft. The losses for the team have come against Kansas and Kentucky, both on neutral courts. The team is still somewhat finding their identity, but certainly trying to figure out how to play together. As the season progresses, and if Flagg can develop even more, the talent from the rest of the roster will truly make them a tough team to play in any situation. I'd like to see a bit more consistency in the shooting department from the team. They are shooting just 36% from three this season, with Flag under 30% and Kon Knueppel at 36%. Tyrese Proctor has come alive a bit lately and is giving them a much needed third scoring option, but I think they need to get more support from other spots and have to knock down more threes. 

This is a tough game to call, but I think Auburn will be able to win this one. They shouldn't be too scared of going into enemy territory. I don't like taking road teams very often in college hoops, but right now Auburn is playing better basketball. Duke will certainly put up a fight, but the team that has been tested and come out victorious more often, so far, has been Auburn. They will do it again tonight. 

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