The Duke Blue Devils (27-3) travel to face off against the North Carolina Tar Heels (20-11) on Saturday, March 8th. This game will be played at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill and televised on ESPN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 6:30 ET.

Duke Blue Devils vs North Carolina Tar Heels

The Blue Devils Are Coming Off A Win

Duke improved to 27-3 with a dominant 93-60 win over Wake Forest on Monday. Playing at home, the Blue Devils entered the game as 20-point favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game reached 153, surpassing the over/under line of 147.5.

Duke led 40-27 at halftime and pulled away in the second half, outscoring Wake Forest 53-33.

The Tar Heels Are Coming Off A Win

North Carolina Tar Heels Recent Game/Games

North Carolina moved to 20-11 on the season with a dominant 91-59 road win over Virginia Tech on Tuesday. The Tar Heels, who were favored by 8 points, not only covered the spread but also saw the game’s total points (150) edge over the 149.5 O/U line.

UNC took control early, leading 46-29 at halftime, and continued their strong play in the 2nd half, outscoring the Hokies 45-30.

Blue Devils Offense Breakdown

Duke’s offense put up 93 points in their last game, shooting 47.2% from the field and 35.9% from beyond the arc, hitting 14 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was 56.9%, and they were strong inside, shooting 60.6% on two-point attempts. They also hit 84.6% of their free throws, going 11 for 13.

Cooper Flagg led the way with 28 points, shooting 62.5% overall and 50% from three, adding 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Duke grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and dished out 19 assists as a team.

Tar Heels Offense Breakdown

North Carolina’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 91 points with a 58.9% field goal percentage. They were particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 15 of 28 threes for a 53.6% rate, contributing to an impressive 71.4% effective field goal percentage.

The Tar Heels also dished out 24 assists, with Ian Jackson leading the way with 19 points, hitting 5 of 8 threes. RJ Davis was nearly perfect, shooting 83.3% overall and 75% from deep.

Blue Devils Team Defense

Duke’s defense gave up 60 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 47% from the field on 34 of 72 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 20 baskets on 33 attempts, a 60% two-point shooting rate.

From three-point range, the opposition hit 14 of 39 shots, shooting 35%. They also went to the free-throw line 13 times, making 11, for an 84% success rate. Duke gave up 18 offensive rebounds.

Tar Heels Team Defense

Even though Duke allowed 60 points, they struggled defensively, giving up 47% shooting from the field. The Blue Devils allowed 34 made baskets on 72 attempts.

Inside the arc, Duke’s defense gave up 20 two-point baskets on 33 attempts, a 60% shooting rate. From three-point range, their opponent hit 14 of 39 shots, good for 35%.

Blue Devils vs Tar Heels Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Duke has been good against the spread posting a mark of 4-1. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 88 points per game.
• Across their ten previous home games, North Carolina has an ATS mark of 2-7-1. Their straight up record in these matchups was 5-5 while averaging 74 points per game.
• Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Tar Heels have gone 0-4-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-5.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Duke has an ATS mark of 8-2 while going 9-1 straight up.

Blue Devils vs Tar Heels Prediction

As the underdogs with a spread of +11.5, we recommend going with the Tar Heels on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 157.5, and our model predicts the Blue Devils and Tar Heels to score a combined 145 points. We recommend betting on the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.