One of many largest nonconference video games of the 2025-26 faculty basketball season will happen on Thanksgiving when No. 4 Duke faces No. 22 Arkansas within the CBS Sports activities Thanksgiving Basic. This can mark the second consecutive yr that the Razorbacks play on Thanksgiving on CBS. Illinois defeated Arkansas 90-77 final yr in a vacation showdown.
This matchup will function among the finest freshmen within the nation on the identical court docket. The headliner of this sport is Duke ahead Cameron Boozer, who’s a projected top-three choose within the 2026 NBA Draft. On the opposite facet, Arkansas has two potential lottery picks in Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr.
Duke is off to a 7-0 begin for the primary time because the 2021-22 marketing campaign. The Blue Devils want to begin a season 8-0 for the primary time because the 2017-18 season, a yr through which Duke reached the Elite Eight.
John Calipari, Arkansas getting ready for bodily ‘battle’ vs. Duke in CBS Thanksgiving Basic
David Cobb
Arkansas is off to a 5-1 begin in Yr 2 of the John Calipari period, with the lone loss coming to Michigan State earlier this month. The Razorbacks are 4-9 in opposition to ACC competitors because the begin of the 2014-15 season.
Right here is all the things you have to know forward of the marquee matchup.
The place to observe Duke vs. Arkansas stay
Date: Thursday, Nov. 27 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: United Heart — Chicago
TV: CBS | Stay stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports activities App
Streaming on Paramount+ Premium
Duke vs. Arkansas: Have to know
Duke may have the No. 1 choose, once more: The race for the No. 1 choose within the 2026 NBA Draft will seemingly be between three gamers: Boozer, Kansas‘ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybansta. Whereas Boozer shall be drafted behind these gamers this summer season, he’s off to an unimaginable begin to the season and is on observe to turn out to be the newest member of the Duke program to be drafted within the prime three. Final season, Cooper Flagg received Nationwide Participant of the Yr as a freshman and have become the No. 1 general choose. Via three weeks, Boozer needs to be within the dialog for each.
Coach Cal has two elite freshmen: When Calipari was the coach at Kentucky for 15 years, he routinely produced first-round picks. That streak ended final summer season, as Arkansas/Calipari did not have a participant chosen within the first spherical. If the early returns are any indication, it is that the drought will not final lengthy. Acuff and Thomas are each enjoying at an elite degree. Each needs to be drafted excessive this summer season. Acuff and Thomas are each within the prime 10 of CBS Sports activities’ newest freshmen rankings.
Duke has a gauntlet upcoming: Duke’s matchup in opposition to Arkansas will mark the second group Scheyer’s program has confronted this season. The upcoming stretch of video games shall be extra of the place that got here from. The Blue Devils face reigning nationwide champion Florida subsequent week at dwelling within the ACC/SEC Males’s Problem and still have nonconference video games in opposition to Michigan State and Texas Tech earlier than ACC play begins.
Duke vs. Arkansas prediction, picks
This sport goes to come back right down to the play of the freshman on each side. Can Arkansas sluggish Boozer down? That is the largest key on this sport. Boozer has appeared like a pressure through the first few weeks of the season. He’s a strolling double-double able to taking up a sport. Search for Boozer to have a giant efficiency and Duke to cowl the unfold. Choose: Duke -10.5
Who will win and canopy in each faculty basketball sport? Go to SportsLine to get picks from the mannequin that simulates every sport 10,000 instances and is up greater than $1,200 for $100 gamers on its top-rated unfold picks the previous six years.