Siena vs Duke Prediction 3/19/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Duke Blue Devils and the Siena Saints will meet on Thursday afternoon in an NCAA Tournament First Round matchup at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview

The Duke Blue Devils enter Thursday’s game with a 32–2 win‑loss record, including a rather impressive 17-1 mark in conference play and a 10-1 record on the road. The Blue Devils have compiled wins over Michigan State, Florida, Lipscomb and the Florida Gators, while losing to North Carolina and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

More recently, in the Duke Blue Devils dominant 100-56 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last month, Duke forward Cameron Boozer tallied 24 points (5 of 8 shooting from the field: 2 of 2 from three-point range), 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals demonstrating his ability to lead the Blue Devils frontcourt.  

The Duke Blue Devils average 82.3 points (32nd in nation) on 49 percent shooting from the field (19th in country) and 35.1 percent shooting from three‑point range per game. Defensively, the Blue Devils are allowing opponents 63.1 points per contest which ranks 3rd in the nation.

Freshman guard Cameron Boozer has been a solid performer for the Duke Blue Devils, averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. Sophomore center Patrick Ngongbka II is averaging 10.7 points, 6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 blocks per contest. Sophomore guard Isaiah Evans provides the Blue Devils with further backcourt stability averaging 14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Siena Saints Betting Preview

The Siena Saints enter Thursday’s contest with a 23–11 overall win-loss record, including a 13–7 mark in conference play and a respectable 9-7 record on the road. The Saints have compiled wins over Rider, Brown, Holy Cross and the Longwood Lancers, while losing games to Iona, Colgate and the Indiana Hoosiers.

Earlier this season, in the Siena Saints 74–65 win over Rider, Siena guard Gavin Doty amassed 19 points (8 of 13 shooting from the field), 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal illustrating his ability to perform at a high level.

The Siena Saints average 70.5 points on 45.7 percent shooting from the field and 30.4 percent shooting from behind the arc per game. Shifting our focus to the defensive side of the basketball, the Saints are allowing opponents 65.7 points per contest which ranks 12th in the nation.  

Freshman guard Francis Folefac has been a standout performer for the Siena Saints averaging 11.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. Sophomore guard Gavin Doty averages 17.9 points on 46.3 percent shooting from the field per contest. Forward Tasman Goodrick adds 9.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1 block per game.

Why the Duke Blue Devils Will Win

• Elite defense. The Duke Blue Devils are allowing opponents 63.1 points per game which ranks 3rd in the country.

• Ability to win on the road. The Blue Devils have compiled a rather impressive 10-1 record on the road.  

• Balanced roster. Boozer, Evans and Ngongba II provide scoring, rebounding, and defense.

• Momentum. The Duke Blue Devils arrive at tomorrow’s contest on the heels of an 11-game winning streak.

Why the Siena Saints Will Win

• Quality defense. The Siena Saints are allowing opponents 65.7 points per game which ranks 12th in the nation.

• Backcourt play. Freshman guard Francis Folefac has been a standout performer for the Siena Saints averaging 11.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocks per game.

Siena Saints vs. Duke Blue Devils Prediction

This matchup features a Siena team that has leaned on a quality defense all season, but the jump in athleticism and shot‑making the Saints face against Duke here is simply massive. Duke’s ability to create separation early with pressure defense and transition scoring puts Siena in a difficult spot. Additionally, the Saints don’t have the offensive pace or perimeter volume to keep pace with the Blue Devils elite high-paced offense. I see Duke pulling away in the second half and winning this contest rather comfortably. For the reasons just noted, I am backing the Duke Blue Devils to cover the 27.5 points in this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Duke -27.5