Coastal Carolina vs. Duke Prediction, Men's College Basketball Odds & Best Bets (11/5)

Fact checked at 6:38 AM ET, Nov 5, 2026

Odds as of 6:38 AM ET, Nov 5, 2026

No. 2 Duke hosts Coastal Carolina at 8:00 PM ET at Cameron Indoor Stadium on ACC Network. Duke should win this easily. We just think it looks a lot like the 84-50 opener against Army: the defense keeps the visitors in the 50s, the half-court offense stays clunky, and the bench finishes the job. That kind of game lands under the total and inside 40.5, so we're on the Under and Coastal Carolina with the points.

Each team has played once, both against Division I opponents, so everything from this season is a one-game sample.

Coastal Carolina vs. Duke Predictions

• Pick #1: Under 148.5 (-115)
• Pick #2: Coastal Carolina +40.5 (-105)

PICK #1: Under 148.5 (-115)

Both openers came in well under. Duke and Army combined for 134 points, 23.5 below a closing total of 157.5. Coastal and Eastern Michigan combined for 141, just under a closing 142.5.

Duke's own offense kept its game low. The Blue Devils went 4-for-22 from three and had as many turnovers as assists (13 each), and Jon Scheyer said his team was "really stagnant" against Army's zone. Coastal poses a different problem, which is size. Caleb Middleton is 6-11, Derrick Green is 6-9 and 275 pounds, and Drew Fuquay and Ashton Hardaway are both 6-8. That frontcourt blocked eight shots in the opener.

Coastal's offense isn't much of a threat to the number. With 12 newcomers on a 15-man roster, it shot 7-for-24 from three against Eastern Michigan, and now it gets a Duke defense that forced 24 turnovers and had 16 steals.

The arithmetic helps. If Coastal scores 53, Duke needs 96 to send this Over, and it scored 84 in its opener. Several books had 146.5 a day ago, and one major book now deals 148.5, so the Under gets two extra points. The -115 price implies a 53.5% chance.

What could break it is a sloppy, whistle-heavy game. Duke scored 25 fast-break points off Army's mistakes, and Coastal committed 25 fouls against Eastern Michigan, which went 23-for-29 at the line. Run-outs and free throws can push a total to 150 in a hurry.

PICK #2: Coastal Carolina +40.5 (-105)

Duke was a 44.5-point favorite against Army and won by 34. Its largest lead all night was 37. Coastal should hold up better on the glass: it outrebounded Eastern Michigan 40-32 and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds.

The rotation matters here too. Twelve Duke players scored against Army, and nobody logged more than 24 minutes. Scheyer has said the depth "is going to win us a lot of games," but a 40-point lead usually stops growing once the deep bench is in. This is also Duke's last game before Michigan State in Chicago next week, so we don't expect the starters to play late into the second half.

At -105 you need this to hit 51.2% of the time. Coastal's ball handling is the weak spot. It committed 13 turnovers to nine assists against an Eastern Michigan team that had only seven steals, and Trey Perry and Jaylen Cross combined for seven of those giveaways. If Duke's pressure turns them into layups, the margin can get past 40.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.