A revenge game is up next for Duke basketball, which hosts Pitt at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night (7 p.m., ESPN).
The fourth-ranked Blue Devils (12-2, 4-0 ACC) and Panthers (12-2, 3-0) are two of the top three teams in the ACC standings. Duke has a 17-9 advantage in the all-time series, but Pitt earned an 80-76 win in the last meeting for its first victory in Durham since 1979.
The Blue Devils have won eight in a row, earning an 89-62 win at SMU over the weekend. Pitt carries a five-game winning streak to Cameron.
Here are some other things to know and a score prediction for Duke vs. Pitt.
Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster get chance to take down Jaland Lowe, Pitt
Duke guards Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster were on Coach K Court when Jaland Lowe and Pitt were celebrating an upset victory against the Blue Devils in 2024. Foster had one of his best games as a freshman against the Panthers, scoring 16 points to go with six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Proctor had 11 points and five rebounds that night, but Lowe 17 points and six assists.
Proctor has been among Duke’s most efficient players as a junior and Foster has carved out a role as one of the Blue Devils’ top options off the bench. Both will have a hand in trying to slow down Lowe, who is averaging 17.4 points, 6.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
Ishmael Leggett, Kon Knueppel as scorers in Duke vs Pitt matchup
Pitt guard Ishmael Leggett, the reigning ACC Sixth Man of the Year, is averaging a team-high 17.8 points and 6.1 rebounds in his senior season. An ankle injury kept him out against Cal on New Year’s Day, but Leggett had 21 points in Pitt’s win against Stanford on Jan. 4. Duke can’t let Leggett get comfortable at Cameron.
Like Leggett, Duke wing Kon Knueppel has upped his scoring of late. Over the last three ACC games, Knueppel is averaging 15 points per game on 38.7% shooting from 3-point range. He also had seven assists and one turnover during that stretch.
Cooper Flagg, Duke points in the paint
Duke has dominated points in the paint, outscoring its opponents by more than 10 points in that category. The Blue Devils had a 42-24 points-in-the-paint advantage at SMU, powered by Cooper Flagg’s aggressiveness. Pitt has experienced similar success in the painted area, coming off a 40-10 advantage against Stanford. In each of the Panthers’ two losses, they were outscored on the interior. If the Blue Devils put pressure on the rim, they should be able to take down Pitt.
Duke vs Pitt score prediction
Duke 77, Pitt 68: The Blue Devils have 10 newcomers, but Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster will send a message to their teammates about what happened last season against Pitt in Durham. Behind another double-double performance from Cooper Flagg, Duke will get it done.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball vs Pitt: Score prediction, scouting report
