NCAAB: #7 North Carolina vs #9 Duke Odds, and Picks (Mar 9)

• North Carolina earned their 5th straight win, after dominating Notre Dame.
• Duke continued their stellar play, taking down NC State 79-64, on the road.
• These two teams last met on February 3, in a game that North Carolina won 93-84.

Selection Sunday is just two weeks away! Let’s look at this matchup between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils. North Carolina can lock up the ACC regular season title outright with a victory.

How to Watch

• ESPN

Preview

North Carolina remains atop the ACC, sitting at 16-3 in conference play and 24-6 overall. They can both clinch the conference’s regular season title, and make a claim for a 1-seed if they can topple Duke on the road here. The Tar Heels had success in their first clash against the Blue Devils, exploiting their defense. They’ll face a tougher task on the road, though. They’ll continue to play through leading scorer RJ Davis.

Duke is on a roll of their own, having won 11 of their last 13 games. They remain projected to receive a 3-seed in the tourney, but could rise to a 2-seed if they win here. They also face the risk of being swept by their rivals, raising the stakes even further. The Blue Devils were fortunate Kyle Filipowski wasn’t seriously injured by a court-storming fan at Wake Forest, turning their attention towards this key clash with UNC.

Prediction

This rivalry may be past the Coach K vs Coach Roy era, but it remains one of college basketball’s greatest matchups. In their first clash, the Tar Heels offense was too much for Duke. This time around, the Blue Devils will aim to stifle North Carolina back at Cameron Indoor Stadium. I see them winning a close game.

NCAAB Picks:

• Duke 83, North Carolina 79 (UNC +4.5)