The No. 20 Duke Blue Devils recorded their biggest win of the season this weekend, when they upset then seventh-ranked Virginia, 63-62, on Saturday. The Blue Devils will look to sustain the momentum of that huge victory when they take on arch-rivals No. 5 North Carolina in a marquee ACC clash later tonight.
Who will emerge victorious in Round 1 of this heated matchup? Read on below for a preview of this much-anticipated showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of No. 1 Louisville vs. Temple and No. 4 Iowa vs. Penn State.
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Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Preview
Where: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill
When: Wednesday, February 17, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Duke Blue Devils (+6.5) at North Carolina Tar Heels (-6.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils (19-6, 8-4 ACC)
Duke extended its winning streak to four games with a nerve-wracking 63-62 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday. Grayson Allen scored a tough one-handed bank shot with no time left to keep Virginia winless at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995. It was a fantastic victory for the Blue Devils who trailed by as much as 11 points against the Cavaliers early in the first half.
That sets the Blue Devils up quite nicely for their upcoming brutal two-game stretch where they will face seeded teams in North Carolina and Louisville. It definitely won’t be easy but Duke will not be fazed one bit because of the way it is shooting the basketball right now. The Blue Devils are 13th in Division I in scoring, averaging 83.4 points per game this season.
They will also take comfort in the fact that they have fared extremely well against the Tar Heels on the road of late. The Blue Devils have won four of their last five games at Chapel Hill.
The Blue Devils are 8-2 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 road games.
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Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (21-4, 10-2 ACC)
The North Carolina Tar Heels stretched their unbeaten run to two games with a resounding 85-64 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers on Sunday. Brice Johnson led the way for the Tar Heels, scoring 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. Johnson has been solid on both ends of the floor for North Carolina, averaging 16.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game this season.
Key to the Tar Heels’ resurgence has been their incredible play on the offensive end. The Tar Heels are averaging 75.5 points over their last two games. That sizzling offense was in full display Sunday against the Panthers where they shot an incredible 59.3 percent from the field. They finished with 26 assists on 32 baskets, 24 points off turnovers and 16 fast-break points against Pittsburgh. North Carolina is 10th in Division I in scoring, averaging 83.8 points per game this season.
Next up for North Carolina is a clash with arch-rivals Duke. Roy Williams’ men will fancy their chances against the Blue Devils as they have fared extremely well at home this season. The Tar Heels are unbeaten at Chapel Hill this campaign, winning all 13 of their games at Dean E. Smith Center. They will be licking their chops at the prospect of facing a Duke defense that’s allowing 70.9 points per game this season, 155th in the entire nation.
The Tar Heels are 4-6 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
North Carolina (-6.5) wins, 78-73.
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