Duke at North Carolina odds, picks and predictions
The No. 7 Duke Blue Devils (16-4, 7-2 ACC) and No. 3 North Carolina Tar Heels (17-4, 9-1) meet Saturday at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook's lines around the Duke vs. North Carolina odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The Blue Devils posted a 77-67 win as 4-point favorites Monday, snapping an 0-4 against the spread (ATS) skid. Duke has won 11 of the past 12 games, with a lone hiccup against Pitt Jan. 20. The Under has cashed in 2 straight, and 4 of the past 7 outings.
The Tar Heels were on the short end of a 74-73 score against Georgia Tech in Atlanta Monday as a 9-point favorite. UNC saw its 10-game win streak and 8-1-1 ATS run come to an end against the Yellow Jackets. The Under has cashed in 5 straight and 8 of the past 9 outings.
Duke won both meetings in the Battle of the Blues last season. Duke holds a slight 6-4 straight up (SU) record in the past 10 battles, while UNC has a 6-4 ATS advantage during the span. The Under cashed in both meetings last season, but the Over is 7-2 in the past 9 in the series.
Duke is No. 7 and North Carolina is No. 3 in the Paste BN Sports Coaches Poll.
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Duke at North Carolina odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:45 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Duke +146 (bet $100 to win $146) | North Carolina -176 (bet $176 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Duke +4.5 (-120) | North Carolina -4.5 (-102)
- Over/Under (O/U): 150.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Duke at North Carolina picks and predictions
Prediction
Duke 75, North Carolina 71
Moneyline
DUKE (+146) has made its way down US 15-501 to Chapel Hill and won 4 of the past 5 visits to the Dean Dome against North Carolina (-176), including Jon Scheyer's first try at UNC last season.
The Blue Devils scored a nice win and cover at Virginia Tech last time out, while the Heels are coming off an ugly loss against an unranked and sub-.500 Ga. Tech team. Perhaps UNC was looking ahead to this big battle on campus, but Duke rolls in with more steam, and it has dominated the recent games in Chapel Hill. The Blue Devils are the play and a solid value.
Against the spread
DUKE +4.5 (-120) is worth a look catching more than 2 buckets if you want a little insurance and can't fathom the idea of taking it straight up.
North Carolina -4.5 (-102) is 8-2-1 ATS in the past 11 games, but it is coming off a bad loss. And the Tar Heels are just 3-5 ATS in the past 8 in the series, while failing to cover the past 2 home games against the Devils.
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Over/Under
UNDER 150.5 (-105) is worth a look. We saw the Under hit in both meetings last season in this rivalry.
Duke has also hit the Under in the past 2 games, while going 4-1 in the past 5 true road games.
The Under has cashed in 5 in a row for North Carolina, too, while going 8-1 in the past 9 games.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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