NCAAB · Final

Duke Defeats Louisville in NCAAB Showdown

Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 7:00 PM ET · KFC Yum! Center

Duke Blue Devils 84, Louisville Cardinals 73, final. Our NCAAB picks are sealed as a hash before kickoff and settled in public, losses included.

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Quick answers

Who won Duke Blue Devils vs Louisville Cardinals?

Duke Blue Devils beat Louisville Cardinals 84-73 at KFC Yum! Center on January 6, 2026.

Who was favored in Duke Blue Devils vs Louisville Cardinals?

Duke Blue Devils were the favorite at DraftKings, moneyline -112 (about 53% implied). The favorite won.

In a compelling NCAAB matchup, the Duke Blue Devils secured an 84-73 victory over the Louisville Cardinals at the KFC Yum! Center. This win extends Duke's impressive away record to 3-0 and adds to their overall season record of 14-1, while Louisville falls to 11-4 on the year.

Duke entered the game on a two-game winning streak, having won nine of their last ten games. Their recent form showcased an average of 83.8 points scored per game and 68.2 points allowed, indicating a strong offensive presence coupled with solid defense. In contrast, Louisville had a record of 7-3 in their last ten outings, but they were coming off a loss against Stanford, which snapped their previous winning momentum. The Cardinals averaged 85.3 points scored and allowed 68.4 points during that stretch, suggesting they could keep pace offensively but struggled defensively at times.

The home court advantage at KFC Yum! Center has been significant for Louisville, as they maintained a perfect home record of 5-0 prior to this game. However, Duke's away performance has been equally impressive, with their 3-0 away record bolstering their confidence heading into this matchup.

Historically, Duke has had the upper hand over Louisville in recent meetings, winning both of their last two encounters. The most recent was on March 16, 2025, where Duke triumphed 73-62, and earlier in the same season, they defeated Louisville 76-65 on December 8, 2024. This trend continued as Duke once again emerged victorious.

In terms of injuries, the block did not provide specific details about player availability for either team, but the focus remained on the performances of the players on the court. Duke's Caleb Foster was particularly impactful, contributing significantly to the scoreline with key plays in the second half, including a driving layup and a crucial jumper that helped maintain their lead.

The betting market reflected Duke's status as a slight favorite, with DraftKings listing them at -1.5 on the spread and a total set at 161.5. The odds indicated a competitive matchup, and the final score aligned with the expectations of a closely contested game.

Conditions during the game were typical for indoor basketball, with no adverse weather factors affecting play. Fans witnessed a high-paced game with a focus on offensive execution, particularly from Duke, who showcased their ability to score efficiently.

Viewers were treated to a display of skill, particularly from Duke's offensive players, who executed several impressive scoring plays. Notable moments included a series of layups and a highlight-reel alley-oop dunk from Maliq Brown, assisted by Cameron Boozer. Louisville's Aly Khalifa also made contributions with a three-point jumper late in the game, but it was not enough to close the gap.

Overall, Duke's victory reinforces their status as a formidable opponent in the NCAAB landscape, while Louisville will need to regroup and address their defensive issues as they move forward in the season.

Odds

Book	Spread	Total	Moneyline
DraftKings	DUKE -1.5	161.5 o -108 / u -112	Duke Blue Devils -112 · Louisville Cardinals -108

What these prices pay on $100 · What these numbers mean

Leaders

PointsRyan Conwell24Louisville Cardinals
AssistsJ'Vonne Hadley4Louisville Cardinals
ReboundsRyan Conwell7Louisville Cardinals
PointsCameron Boozer27Duke Blue Devils
AssistsCameron Boozer4Duke Blue Devils
ReboundsCameron Boozer8Duke Blue Devils

Recent form

Louisville Cardinals

Last 10: 7-3Streak L185.3 scored · 68.4 allowed per game5-0 at home

L76-80at Stanford CardinalJan 3
W90-70at California Golden BearsDec 31
W94-54vs Montana GrizzliesDec 20
L62-83at Tennessee VolunteersDec 17
W99-73vs Memphis TigersDec 13
W87-78vs Indiana HoosiersDec 6
L80-89at Arkansas RazorbacksDec 4
W104-47vs NJIT HighlandersNov 27
W87-46vs Eastern Michigan EaglesNov 25
W74-64at Cincinnati BearcatsNov 21

Duke Blue Devils

Last 10: 9-1Streak W283.8 scored · 68.2 allowed per game3-0 away

W91-87at Florida State SeminolesJan 3
W85-79vs Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsDec 31
L81-82vs Texas Tech Red RaidersDec 21
W97-73vs Lipscomb BisonsDec 16
W66-60at Michigan State SpartansDec 6
W67-66vs Florida GatorsDec 3
W80-71at Arkansas RazorbacksNov 28
W93-56vs Howard BisonNov 23
W100-42vs Niagara Purple EaglesNov 22
W78-66vs Kansas JayhawksNov 19

Standings

Team	Overall	Games behind	In conference
Duke	35-3	-	17-1
Virginia	30-6	2	15-3
Miami	26-9	4	13-5
North Carolina	24-9	5	12-6
Clemson	24-11	5	12-6
Louisville	24-11	6	11-7
NC State	20-14	7	10-8
Florida State	18-15	7	10-8
California	22-12	8	9-9
Stanford	20-13	8	9-9
Virginia Tech	19-13	9	8-10
SMU	20-14	9	8-10
Wake Forest	18-17	10	7-11
Syracuse	15-17	11	6-12
Pittsburgh	13-20	12	5-13
Notre Dame	13-18	13	4-14
Boston College	11-20	13	4-14
Georgia Tech	11-20	15	2-16

Box score

Stat	Duke Blue Devils	Louisville Cardinals
Field goals	29-57	26-65
Field goal %	51	40
Three-pointers	7-23	12-38
Three-point %	30	32
Free throws	19-28	9-12
Free throw %	68	75
Rebounds	39	37
Offensive rebounds	8	10
Defensive rebounds	31	27
Assists	10	13
Steals	11	7
Blocks	2	1
Turnovers	12	14
Team turnovers	0	0
Technical fouls	1	1
Technical fouls, total	1	1
Flagrant fouls	0	0
Points off turnovers	16	6
Fast-break points	2	2
Points in the paint	40	26
Fouls	17	20
Largest lead	14	12
Lead changes	3	3
Time in front	33	64

How the scoring went

2nd Half40-49Ryan Conwell makes 9-foot floating jump shot
2nd Half41-49Patrick Ngongba II makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half43-49Caleb Foster makes 20-foot jumper
2nd Half43-51J'Vonne Hadley makes layup
2nd Half45-51Isaiah Evans makes 18-foot pullup jump shot (Cameron Boozer assists)
2nd Half47-51Cameron Boozer makes layup (Cayden Boozer assists)
2nd Half47-52Isaac McKneely makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half47-53Isaac McKneely makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half48-53Isaiah Evans makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half49-53Isaiah Evans makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half51-53Cameron Boozer makes layup
2nd Half52-53Cameron Boozer makes free throw 1 of 1
2nd Half53-53Cameron Boozer makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half54-53Cameron Boozer makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half56-53Caleb Foster makes driving layup
2nd Half56-55Adrian Wooley makes layup
2nd Half58-55Isaiah Evans makes driving layup
2nd Half59-55Isaiah Evans makes free throw 1 of 1
2nd Half59-58Adrian Wooley makes 28-foot three point jumper
2nd Half59-60Ryan Conwell makes driving layup
2nd Half61-60Caleb Foster makes driving layup
2nd Half64-60Isaiah Evans makes 24-foot three point jumper (Caleb Foster assists)
2nd Half64-62Adrian Wooley makes layup (J'Vonne Hadley assists)
2nd Half66-62Caleb Foster makes driving layup
2nd Half68-62Patrick Ngongba II makes 5-foot alley oop dunk (Cameron Boozer assists)
2nd Half71-62Cameron Boozer makes 25-foot three point jumper (Caleb Foster assists)
2nd Half72-62Caleb Foster makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half72-64Ryan Conwell makes 7-foot jumper
2nd Half73-64Cameron Boozer makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half73-65Ryan Conwell makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half73-66Ryan Conwell makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half75-66Cameron Boozer makes layup (Maliq Brown assists)
2nd Half77-66Caleb Foster makes driving layup
2nd Half79-66Caleb Foster makes 11-foot jumper
2nd Half79-68Sananda Fru makes 0-foot tip in layup
2nd Half80-68Caleb Foster makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half82-68Maliq Brown makes 5-foot alley oop dunk (Cameron Boozer assists)
2nd Half82-70Aly Khalifa makes layup (J'Vonne Hadley assists)
2nd Half84-70Dame Sarr makes 0-foot tip in layup
2nd Half84-73Aly Khalifa makes 28-foot three point jumper (Ryan Conwell assists)