On Saturday, the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils (18-3, 8-2 ACC) travel the Dean Smith Center to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels (16-6, 8-3 ACC). Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Duke vs. North Carolina odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
In Coach K’s last visit to Chapel Hill, his Blue Devils will be heavily favored. They’re coming off a 14-point win and cover on the road over Notre Dame.
Duke has covered 5 of its last 7. The Blue Devils are an ACC-best 12-7-1 against the spread (ATS). As for North Carolina, it’s 10-12 ATS this season. North Carolina covered its only game as home underdogs.
The Tar Heels have covered 6 of their last 10 and 3 of their last 4. They’re led by big man C Armando Bacot, who averages 16.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Duke at North Carolina odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:40 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Duke -165 (bet $165 to win $100) | North Carolina +133 (bet $100 to win $133)
- Against the spread (ATS): Duke -2.5 (-122) | North Carolina +2.5 (-102)
- Over/Under (O/U): 150.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
Get some action on this matchup at Tipico Sportsbook, a trusted, global sports-betting leader and Sportsbook Wire’s official betting partner.
Place your legal, online sports bets in CO and NJ at Tipico now. IA, Tipico is coming to your state soon! New customer offer: Deposit $10 or more, get $100 in instant bet credits! 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!
Duke at North Carolina odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Duke 78, North Carolina 76
Money line
PASS on the money line.
I prefer the North Carolina spread here, and considering 2 of the last 5 matchups between these two teams were won by fewer than two points, I’ll take the points.
Against the spread
“LEAN” to NORTH CAROLINA +2.5 (-102).
The Tar Heels are undefeated at home this season. While most teams get hurt by Duke’s size, Bacot will limit the 7-foot C Mark Williams. Williams averages 2.6 offensive boards per game.
That said, the Blue Devils are 3-2 on the road this season, and to add to that, the Tar Heels have either won or covered a 2.5-point spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings between these two sides.
North Carolina is also better than Duke at covering conference games (7-4 vs. 6-4 respectively).
Over/Under
BET on the OVER 150.5 (-112).
Both teams heavily crash the glass. Each is a top-50 offensive rebounding side. That said, Duke is averaging 80.4 points per game this season. North Carolina is at 78.5.
Given that 6 of the last 7 matchups between these two rivals have gone over this projected total, I’ll take the points in this battle of two high-profile programs.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and, soon, IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]