Tonight, we get to see one of the best rivalries in all of sports, as Duke hosts North Carolina. These teams have not lived up to expectations this season, but that doesn’t mean all that much right now. When these two get on the court, you can always count on a great game.
This one will be played at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, Saturday, February 6 at 6:00 p.m. ET. You aren’t going to want to miss out on it, and the same goes for our North Carolina vs. Duke picks and predictions.
North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview
Key Injuries
North Carolina: F Puff Johnson (Questionable).
Duke: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
Duke is 2-6 ATS in its last eight home games. Find more NCAA betting trends for North Carolina vs. Duke.
NCAAB Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonDuke opened -3.5 early today at FanDuel and spent about 90 minutes at -4.5 before reverting to -3.5, where the number remains as of 2:15 p.m. ET. Ticket count and money are both running about 3/1 on North Carolina. The total is up a point to 146.5, with 73 percent of bets and 88 percent of cash on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this game
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
North Carolina has been downright awful on the offensive end this season, as the Tar Heels are just 64th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency (all efficiency stats according to KenPom.com) and they also don’t have a single player averaging more than 12.0 points per game. Luckily for head coach Roy Williams, his team is facing a Duke group that is just 48th in the nation on adjusted defensive efficiency. So, if the Tar Heels are going to get it going on offense, this is a good matchup for them, on paper.
Two players to really keep an eye on in this game are UNC guard Caleb Love and forward Garrison Brooks. Duke’s starting power forward, Matthew Hurt, is a wonderful player offensively, but he is also one of the slowest big men in all of college basketball. That means that the Tar Heels will be able to attack him rather often in this one. Look for Brooks to be a major beneficiary here, as he should be able to drive by him easily — especially if he has the mid-range jumper working, forcing Hurt to come out and respect it. North Carolina can also have Love target Hurt in pick-and-roll plays, which would give him the opportunity to blow by the Blue Devils forward when he opts to switch.
Also, for as bad as North Carolina has been on the offensive end this year, this is one of the best rivalries in college basketball. All of these guys are going to be treating this game like it’s a championship, and you can essentially throw out the past.
PREDICTION: North Carolina +3.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
As previously mentioned, the Tar Heels have struggled on offense this year, but this game represents a good opportunity for them to get back on track. Seven of Duke’s last eight games have gone Over the total, which says a lot about the Blue Devils’ lack of defense this season. Considering Duke has scored at least 73 points in four of its last five games, it’s clear the Blue Devils have what it takes to put the ball in the hoop. Also, each of the last two games in this rivalry have gone Over the total.
PREDICTION: Over 144.0 (-110)
North Carolina vs Duke Betting Card
- North Carolina +3.5 (-110)
- Over 144.0 (-110)
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