Duke Blue Devils vs North Carolina Tar Heels Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our North Carolina vs Duke NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Durham.

North Carolina vs Duke Prediction

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 over/under line for this matchup is currently at 148.5 points, and Duke is favored by -13 to win at home against North Carolina.

North Carolina vs. Duke Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils
Where: Durham at Cameron Indoor Stadium
Date: Saturday, February 1st
Betting Odds DUKE -13, NCAR +635 | DUKE -1112 O/U 148.5

Tar Heels Preview: Will the Tar Heels Defense Show Up in Durham?

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. The Tar Heels entered the game as +2.5 point underdogs and didn’t cover the spread. The combined score of 138 points fell short of the 153.5 O/U line.

UNC led 44-42 at halftime but struggled in the second half, scoring just 21 points while allowing 31.

Tar Heels Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, North Carolina's offense put up 65 points, shooting 44.1% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 50.8%, with two-point shooting at 54.3% (19/35) and three-point shooting at 29.2% (7/24). They also hit 66.7% of their free throws, going 6/9 from the line.

Jaland Lowe led the Tar Heels with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, shooting 40% overall and 50% from three (3/6). RJ Davis also connected on 3 of 6 from deep, finishing with 16 points and 5 assists. Zack Austin added 15 points, hitting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, while Cameron Corhen was efficient inside, making 5 of 6 shots.

Tar Heels Team Defense

North Carolina's defense gave up 73 points in their last game, allowing the opponent to shoot 42% from the field on 24 of 56 attempts. Inside the arc, the Tar Heels allowed 50% shooting, with the other team hitting 15 of 30 two-point shots.

From three-point range, North Carolina's defense saw the opponent make 9 of 26 attempts, a 34% shooting performance. The Tar Heels also sent the other team to the line 20 times, where they converted 16 free throws at an 80% rate. North Carolina gave up 6 offensive rebounds in the game.

Blue Devils Preview: Will the Blue Devils Come Through as Home Favorites?

Duke Blue Devils Recent Game/Games

Duke improved to 18-2 on the season with a 74-64 win over NC State on Monday. Despite being heavy favorites at -21.5, the Blue Devils didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points ended at 138, just over the 134.5 O/U line.

Duke trailed 37-33 at halftime but turned things around in the second half, outscoring the Wolfpack 41-27 to secure the win.

Blue Devils Offense Breakdown

Duke's offense put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 39% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 42.4%. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 4 of 20 attempts for 20%, but were strong at the free-throw line, converting 24 of 28 for 85.7%.

Cooper Flagg led the way with 28 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 47.1% overall. Kon Knueppel added 19 points, though he hit just 33.3% of his shots. Dontrez Styles and Trey Parker were efficient, with Styles hitting 4 of 6 threes and Parker connecting on 3 of 4 from deep.

Blue Devils Team Defense

Duke's defense held their opponent to 64 points on 39% shooting from the field. They allowed 19 two-point baskets on 39 attempts, which is 48% shooting.

From beyond the arc, Duke's defense limited their opponent to 4 made threes on 20 attempts, a 20% shooting performance. The opponent also went to the free-throw line 28 times, making 24 of those for 85%. Duke gave up 15 offensive rebounds.

Tar Heels vs Blue Devils Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, North Carolina has an ATS record of 0-4-1 while averaging 67 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
Although Duke has a straight up record of 9-1 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 8-2. The team averaged 76 points per game in these games.
As the betting underdog, the Tar Heels have an ATS mark of just 4-5-1 in their last ten games. North Carolina posted a straight up mark of 3-7 in these matchups.
In their last three contests as the favorite, Duke has a poor record vs the spread going 1-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 3-0.