One of the biggest non-conference games of the 2025-26 college basketball season will take place on Thanksgiving when No. 4 Duke faces No. 22 Arkansas in the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic. This will be the second consecutive year the Razorbacks will play on Thanksgiving on CBS. Illinois defeated Arkansas 90–77 in last year’s Holiday Showdown.
This matchup will feature some of the country’s best freshman players on the same court. The headliner of this game is Duke forward Cameron Boozer, a projected top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. On the other hand, Arkansas has two potential lottery selections in Melek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr.
Duke is 7-0 for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign. The Blue Devils are looking to start the season 8-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 season, a year in which Duke reached the Elite Eight.
John Calipari, Arkansas preparing for physical ‘battle’ vs. Duke in CBS Thanksgiving Classic
david cobb
Arkansas has started the second year of the John Calipari era 5-1, with the only loss coming at Michigan State earlier this month. The Razorbacks are 4–9 against ACC competition since the start of the 2014–15 season.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the marquee matchup.
Where to watch Duke vs Arkansas live
date: Thursday, November 27 | Time: 8 pm ET
Place:United Center–Chicago
TV: CBS | Live Stream: CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports app
Streaming continues Paramount+ Premium
Duke vs. Arkansas: All you need to know
Duke could be picked No. 1 again: The race for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft will likely be between three players: Boozer, Kansas’ Darrin Peterson and BYU’s AJ DiBunsta. While Boozer will be ranked behind those players this summer, he is having an incredible start to the season and is on track to become the latest member of the Duke program to be included in the top three. Last season, Cooper Flagg won national player of the year as a freshman and was selected No. 1 overall. For three weeks, Boozer would be in talks for both.
Coach Cal has two standout freshmen: When Calipari was the coach at Kentucky for 15 years, he was a regular first-round pick. That streak ended last summer, as Arkansas/Calipari did not have a player selected in the first round. If early returns are any indication, it’s that the drought won’t last long. Both Acuff and Thomas are playing at a high level. Both should be drafted high this summer. Acuff and Thomas are both in it The top 10 in CBS Sports’ latest freshman rankings.
Duke has an upcoming challenge: Duke’s matchup against Arkansas will be the second team to face Scheyer’s program this season. The upcoming era of sports will be more of where it came from. The Blue Devils will face defending national champion Florida at home in the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge next week and will also have non-conference games against Michigan State and Texas Tech before ACC play begins.
Duke vs Arkansas Prediction, Selection
This game will depend on the play of the new players on both sides. Can Arkansas slow down Boozer? This is the biggest key of this game. Boozer has looked like a force to be reckoned with through the first few weeks of the season. He is a walking double-double who is capable of taking over games. Look for Boozer to make a big performance and Duke to cover the spread. Select: Duke-10.5
Who will win and who will cover in every college basketball game? Visit SportsLine to get picks from a model that simulates every game 10,000 times and has made over $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated spread picks over the last six years.
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