Duke vs Michigan State: Final Score, Spread Result and Our Lean
Michigan State beat Duke 79-73 in the Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Duke was a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 148.5 in our Monday snapshot, so Michigan State covered with an outright win and the game went over.
No. 5 Michigan State is 3-0 and No. 2 Duke is 2-1. The Spartans led from start to finish.
Duke vs Michigan State final score and recap
| Team | 1st half | 2nd half | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 34 | 45 | 79 |
| Duke | 25 | 48 | 73 |
Jeremy Fears Jr. had 18 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds for Michigan State, per NBC Sports. The Spartans led 34-25 at halftime and 50-36 with 13:37 left.
Duke got within 73-68 on two Caleb Foster free throws with 2:03 to go but never closer. Michigan State held Duke to 20 of 60 shooting and forced 13 turnovers, per ESPN.
It was Michigan State's first win over Duke since December 2020 and moved the Spartans to 7-9 in the Champions Classic.
Duke vs Michigan State odds before tipoff
| Book | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opener | Duke -6.5 | -270 / +220 | 148.5 |
| DraftKings | Duke -6.5 (-110) | -270 / +220 | 148.5 |
| FanDuel | Duke -6.5 (-102) | -260 / +210 | 147.5 |
| Fanatics | Duke -6.5 (-110) | -275 / +220 | 148 |
| BetRivers | Duke -6.5 (-113) | -305 / +230 | 148.5 |
| Caesars | Duke -6.5 (-110) | -278 / +222 | 148.5 |
Lines are from SportsbookReview's odds board, cross-checked against the DraftKings numbers quoted by RG.org and Dimers on Monday. Every book has Duke -6.5, so the shopping is in the price.
Michigan State +6.5 is -110 at DraftKings, Fanatics and Caesars, and the best Spartans moneyline is +230 at BetRivers. FanDuel has the low total at 147.5. Our free plays for the day are on the free picks page.
What the odds implied for Duke vs Michigan State
What the rating systems said about Duke vs Michigan State
| Source | Projected score | Margin | Duke win % | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market (DraftKings) | Duke 77.5, MSU 71 | Duke 6.5 | 70% | 148.5 |
| T-Rank (Bart Torvik) | Duke 75, MSU 71 | Duke 3.5 | 64% | 146 |
| Massey Ratings | Duke 74, MSU 70 | Duke 4.5 | 65% | 144.5 |
Both systems had Duke winning by about four, 2 to 3 points on the Michigan State side of the spread. They also had the game lower scoring than the market. That part missed, since the teams combined for 152 points.
Two games into the season, both ratings still leaned on preseason priors, which is why we treated this as a lean and not a pick.
How Duke and Michigan State got here
| Team | Game 1 | Game 2 | AP rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke (2-0) | W 84-50 vs Army | W 113-52 vs Coastal Carolina | No. 2 |
| Michigan State (2-0) | W 96-59 vs Quinnipiac | W 91-61 vs Toledo | No. 5 |
Duke center Patrick Ngongba II scored a career-high 28 points with nine rebounds in the Coastal Carolina win, per the Associated Press. The one blemish was ball security: Duke turned it over 13 times against Army and 15 times against Coastal Carolina, per SI's Duke coverage.
Michigan State won its two games by an average of 33.5 points. Tom Izzo has moved freshman Jasiah Jervis into the starting lineup, with Jordan Scott shifting to the other wing and Coen Carr to power forward, per the Detroit News.
Key players and availability
Jeremy Fears Jr. runs Michigan State's offense. In last season's meeting he had 13 assists but went 0 for 10 from the field in a 66-60 Duke win in East Lansing, per SI.
Neither team announced an absence before the game. Fears answered last season's 0-for-10 night with 18 points and 11 assists.
Duke vs Michigan State head to head
Duke had won the previous two meetings under Jon Scheyer: 74-65 at the 2023 Champions Classic, also at the United Center, and 66-60 at Michigan State on December 6, 2025.
Tuesday was the 21st meeting between the programs. Duke leads the series 16-5, per Michigan State.
Why we leaned that way: T-Rank (Duke by 3.5) and Massey (Duke by 4.5) both sat 2 to 3 points on the Michigan State side of the line.
This lean was a free editorial read and is not counted in our official win/loss record. Our free plays are on the free picks page and our handicapped card is on the premium picks page.