North Carolina vs Duke Prediction & Picks - NCAA Men

Prediction published on 2/1/25, 12:33 AM  by Travis Pulver | Modified on 2/1/25 at 12:36 AM in NCAA Men Picks

College basketball fans will get treated to the latest edition of one of the best rivalries in the game today when the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC. The Tar Heels won the last two meetings, but the Blue Devils are still heavy favorites (-13.5 points).

Duke and North Carolina are often two of the best teams in the country. However, while that is true for No. 2 Duke, North Carolina is a different story. The Tar Heels will take a 13-9 record into the contest, and they’ve lost three of their last four games. Despite their record, projections still have them making the Tournament but are listed as ‘first team out.’ A big win over the No. 2 team in the country would go a long way toward securing a spot.

The Blue Devils will, of course, not go quietly into the night and let the Tar Heels win. No, their top-five defense (scoring) will make North Carolina work for every absolute point. At the same time, UNC’s lackluster defense will probably not slow down the Duke offensive machine too much, if at all.

Then again, North Carolina did win the last two games vs. Duke…