Two teams that won their respective conference tournaments headline one of the first-round games in this year’s national tournament, but one is the overwhelming favorite. On Thursday, March 19, coach Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils will face coach Gerry McNamara’s Siena Saints in the first round of the East Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament in neutral territory, the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
As mentioned, the Blue Devils won this year’s ACC tournament and are being hailed as the No. 1 overall seed in the country. They possess an overall record of 32-2 (17-1 ACC) heading into the Big Dance. The Saints also won their conference tournament championship, the MAAC, and hold an overall record of 23-11 (13-7 MAAC).
Duke Blue Devils vs. Siena Saints Game Details
The Blue Devils-Saints game is scheduled to tip off at 2:50 p.m. EDT from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Thursday, March 19. Fans and spectators can catch the live broadcast on CBS and can also stream it via Disney+ or Paramount+.
Blue Devils vs. Saints Odds
Moneyline: Blue Devils (-25000) vs. Saints (+1900)
Spread: Blue Devils (-28.5) vs. Saints (+28.5)
Total (O/U): Blue Devils (u136) -115 vs. Saints (o136) +105
Note: Odds are accurate at the time of writing but are subject to change closer to tipoff.
Duke Blue Devils vs. Siena Saints Preview
The Duke Blue Devils hold an advantage as the top seed in the whole college basketball landscape this year. For the Siena Saints, they are bringing in the momentum they gained from winning the 2026 MAAC Championship. Still, it’ll take an upset of huge proportions for the Saints to come out of the first round of March Madness with a victory over the Blue Devils, who are the title favorites.
Blue Devils vs. Saints Injury Report
Blue Devils
The Blue Devils will be playing without a couple of their starters in big man Patrick Ngongba II (knee) and perimeter key cog in Caleb Foster (foot). Duke won their conference tournament title this year without them.
Saints
As of writing, the Saints do not have any reported injuries and are expected to field a full lineup fresh off their conference tournament championship run.
Blue Devils vs. Saints Starting Lineups
Blue Devils
G: Cayden Boozer | G: Isaiah Evans | F: Dame Sarr | F: Cameron Boozer | C: Maliq Brown
Saints
G: Justice Shoats | G: Gavin Doty | F: Francis Folefac | F: Brendan Coyle | C: Riley Mulvey
Blue Devils vs. Saints Prediction
As mentioned, the Duke Blue Devils are likely to dominate the Siena Saints, given that they are the No. 1 overall seed in the nation. While the Siena Saints have proved that they can hang with the best of them, as they have shown in the current campaign, Duke may prove to be on another level right now. This is also apparent with the odds heavily favoring the Durham, North Carolina-based program to advance to the second round of the postseason.
Our prediction: The Blue Devils to win.
Also Read: Cameron Boozer Stats Today – How Did Duke Star Perform in Close Win vs Florida State Seminoles As Jon Scheyer’s Team Reach ACC Tournament Semifinals?
Read More: Duke vs Siena Injury Report: Latest on Patrick Ngongba II, Antonio Chandler Ahead of NCAA Tournament First Round
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