The North Carolina Tar Heels (13-9) travel to face off against the Duke Blue Devils (18-2) on Saturday, February 1st. This game will be played at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham and televised on ESPN. Duke is coming off a win in their previous game, while North Carolina is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pittsburgh. Tip-off is set for 6:30 ET.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs Duke Blue Devils
The Tar Heels Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
North Carolina Tar Heels Recent Game/Games
North Carolina’s season record fell to 13-9 after a 73-65 loss to Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Entering the game as +2.5 point underdogs, the Tar Heels not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 138 fell short of the 153.5 over/under line.
North Carolina led 44-42 at halftime but struggled in the second half, scoring just 21 points while allowing 31. The Tar Heels will need to address their second-half performance as they look to bounce back.
The Blue Devils Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Duke Blue Devils Recent Game/Games
Duke improved to 18-2 on the season with a 74-64 win over NC State on Monday. The Blue Devils were -21.5 point favorites at home but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 138, just over the O/U line of 134.5.
Duke trailed 37-33 at halftime but turned things around in the second half, outscoring the Wolfpack 41-27 to secure the win.
Tar Heels Offense Breakdown
North Carolina managed 65 points in their last game, shooting 44.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50.8%. They connected on 54.3% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 29.2% (7/24) of their threes. At the free-throw line, they went 6/9, shooting 66.7%.
Jaland Lowe led the way with 18 points and 7 assists, hitting 3 of 6 from deep. RJ Davis also knocked down 3 of 6 from three, finishing with 16 points and 5 assists. Zack Austin was efficient, shooting 71.4% overall and 60% from three, while Cameron Corhen hit 5 of 6 shots, contributing 14 points.
Blue Devils Offense Breakdown
Duke’s offense put up 74 points in their last game, shooting just 39% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 42.4%. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 4 of 20 attempts for a 20% three-point shooting percentage.
Cooper Flagg led the way with 28 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 47.1% overall. Kon Knueppel added 19 points, connecting on 3 of 10 threes, while Dontrez Styles hit 4 of 6 from deep, finishing with 18 points and 3 rebounds.
Tar Heels Team Defense
North Carolina’s defense gave up 73 points in their last game, with their opponent shooting 42% from the field. The Tar Heels allowed 24 made field goals on 56 attempts.
Defensively, North Carolina allowed 9 threes on 26 attempts, a 34% shooting rate. Their opponent also went 16/20 from the free-throw line, hitting 80% of their shots.
Blue Devils Team Defense
North Carolina’s defense gave up 73 points, with their opponent shooting 42% from the field, hitting 24 of 56 shots. Inside the arc, they allowed 15 two-point baskets on 30 attempts, a 50% conversion rate.
From three-point range, the Tar Heels’ opponent went 9 for 26, shooting 34%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 20 times, where they made 16 free throws, an 80% success rate. North Carolina allowed 6 offensive rebounds.
Tar Heels vs Blue Devils Trends
- Across their ten previous road games, North Carolina has an ATS mark of 5-4-1. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 72 points per game.
- In their last ten games at home, the Blue Devils have a straight up record of 9-1 while going 8-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 76 points per game in this stretch.
- Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Tar Heels have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 0-2-1.
- Across their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Blue Devils have an overall record of 5-0 while going 2-3 against the spread.
Tar Heels vs Blue Devils Prediction
For a pick on the point-spread in this Blue Devils vs. Tar Heels matchup, our bet is to grab the Tar Heels at +13. Even though our projections have the Blue Devils winning 76-70, we see the Tar Heels as the play on the point-spread.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 148.5, and our model predicts the Tar Heels and Blue Devils to score a combined 146 points. We recommend betting on the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* 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.
Last updated:February 1, 2025 Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels