Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Tar Heels and Blue Devils. The game is starting at 6:30 ET on ESPN, and it’s hosted by the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC. Get ready to place your bets! The odds for this Atlantic Coast conference game currently have Duke as the -5.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 149.5 points.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS VS DUKE BLUE DEVILS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Duke Blue Devils -5.5

This game will be played at Cameron Indoor Stadium at 6:30 ET on Saturday, March 9th.

WHY BET THE DUKE BLUE DEVILS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-68 in favor of the Blue Devils.
  • Not only will Duke pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -5.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 149.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.

Is A Road Victory Likely for Underdog North Carolina?

North Carolina has been a much better team at home this season, going 16-2 compared to 8-4 on the road. Their average scoring margin at home is +16.6 compared to +4.6 on the road. They have gone 23-5 when favored compared to 1-1 when underdogs.

Over their last 10 road games, the Tar Heels are 8-2. They have won five games in a row, including their most recent game against Notre Dame, 84-51. For the season, they are 24-6, including a 16-3 record in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

North Carolina’s ATS record this season is 17-13, but they are just 1-9 vs. the spread in their last 10 games as the underdog.

North Carolina’s over/under record for the season is 14-16 and the average scoring total in their games is 151.3 points. Today’s over/under line of 149.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (152.8). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 143 points and their OU record during that stretch is 0-3. So far, 14 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line.

In their most recent game, the Tar Heels’ offense tallied 84 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 81.5 points per game. RJ Davis is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 21.5. Meanwhile, Armando Bacot also brings a PPG average of 14 into the game.

Currently, the Tar Heels’ defense holds the 114th rank in the nation, allowing 69.8 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, North Carolina’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 40.5% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 30.3% this season.

Can Duke Secure a Home Victory?

With a 16-2 home record and a +17.4 average scoring margin at home, Duke has been dominant at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season. They are currently riding a six-game home winning streak as they prepare to take on North Carolina.

Overall, the Blue Devils have won three straight games and are 24-6 this season. They have gone 14-4 in ACC play compared to 10-2 in non-conference games.

As the favorite, Duke has been strong vs. the spread this season, going 17-10. At home, their ATS mark is 12-6 and over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Blue Devils have gone 9-1 vs. the spread.

On the season, the over/under record for Duke games is 12-16-1, and today’s line of 149.5 is higher than the average OU line in their games (146.6). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 135 points, and their OU record over their last 10 games is 2-8.

The Duke offense is coming off a game in which they scored 79 points vs. North Carolina State. Overall their field goal percentage was 47.1% while connecting on 9 threes. The team’s top scorer is Kyle Filipowski, who enters today’s matchup with an average of 16.5, while Jeremy Roach also carries a PPG average of 14.3 into the game.

Duke’s defense has been playing well, ranking 46th nationally, with 66.7 points allowed per game. Duke’s defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the North Carolina State offense to knock down 48% of their shots on their way to putting up 64 points.