Best UNC vs. Duke Betting Picks for Saturday, Mar. 9
Who will be crowned the ACC regular season champion after this highly anticipated battle between two powerhouses?
By Cem Yolbulan
The greatest rivalry in college basketball is back with the ACC regular season title on the line. No. 7 North Carolina, who already clinched at least a share of the title with their win over Notre Dame, is visiting Cameron Indoor Stadium where No. 9 Duke hasn't lost in six games.
This marks the 50th time ever that both teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally when they match up. With both teams on a winning streak, this is surely going to be a doozy.
UNC vs. Duke Odds, Spread, and Total
UNC vs. Duke Best Bet and Prediction
North Carolina took care of business at home against Duke in the February 3 matchup between the sides. Behind two dominant performances from Harrison Ingram and Armando Bacot, UNC had dominated the interior in the 93-84 win.
Duke has been playing much better since that loss. They are 8-1 in the nine games since then and their defense has gone up to another level. They allowed an opponent to score more than 70 points only once in that span.
The Tar Heels are on a similar roll, having won five straight. Despite their inconsistencies as a team at times, their defense has been excellent all season. They currently boast the sixth-best defense in the country according to KenPom College Basketball Ratings.
North Carolina's defense had done an excellent job slowing down sophomore star Kyle Filipowski in the earlier matchup. Who wins the matchup between Bacot and Filipowski will be a key factor on Saturday.
Duke has the edge over North Carolina with home-court advantage and extra motivation to tie the season series. But 5.5 is too large of a spread. Considering how well these two defenses have been playing, going with the under might be the safer bet.
My pick: Under 150.5
You can't bet on Duke or UNC in North Carolina quite yet, but signing up for FanDuel Sportsbook before Monday's legal betting launch will get you an extra $100 that you'll miss out on if you don't sign up this weekend! In total, signing up early gives you access to up to $300 in bonuses, so sign up through the exclusive Old North Banter link now to cash in!
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.