How and what to watch for UNC vs. Duke

The North Carolina Tar Heels will be taking on their in-state rivals, the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET in Durham, NC. The Tar Heels defeated the Blue Devils 20-17 last season.

UNC (4-2) is coming into this weekend’s matchup looking to rebound from last week’s 44-41 loss to the Virginia Cavaliers. Sophomore quarterback Sam Howell completed 82.1 percent of his passes for 443 yards and four touchdowns. During the second half, the Heels were down 21 points, but Howell led them back to make it close towards the end just as he did against Florida State in their other loss this season.

Junior wide receiver Dyami Brown led both teams in receiving with 11 receptions for 240 yards and three touchdowns. It was the second week in a row that Brown had at least 100-plus receiving yards. While he had an outstanding game, the Cavaliers’ defense made it a point of emphasis to slow down senior running back Michael Carter. After posting 106 rushing yards against NC State, Carter only had 64 rushing yards on nine carries. He will be looking to bounce back against a Blue Devils’ defense that is allowing 155.1 rushing yards per game this season.

As for the Blue Devils (2-5), they are looking for their second-straight win after defeating the Charlotte 49ers 53-19. Against the Niners’ defense, Duke running backs Mataeo Durant and Deon Jackson carried the offensive workload. Durant led the game with 104 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns, while Jackson added 101 rushing yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns.

With that type of performance from the running backs, junior quarterback Chase Brice did not have to do much behind center. The 6-foot-3 quarterback went 8/14 passing for 106 yards and a touchdown. This season, Brice is only completing 55.1 percent of his passes for 1,567 yards, seven touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch North Carolina vs. Duke on Saturday, November 7 at 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2, or you can stream it via ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: UNC (-12) vs. Duke
Point Total: O/U 62.5
Money line: UNC (-455), Duke (+320)

• North Carolina is 6-3 against the spread in its last nine games.
• North Carolina is 7-2 straight up in its last nine games.
• Duke is 3-10 straight up in its last 13 games.
• The point total went over in four of Duke’s last five games.

Betting splits

North Carolina: (93% of handle, 82% percent of bets)
Duke: (7% of handle, 18% percent of bets)

The Best Bet

The Tar Heels will be looking to get back in the win column this week, and that should be an easy feat against their Triangle rivals on Saturday. The Blue Devils don’tt offer much on offense and have trouble stopping the run, allowing 155.1 rushing yards per game this season.

Pick: UNC -11.5

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO) or 1-800-BETS OFF (IA). 21+ (18+ NH). NJ/PA/WV/IN/NH/IA/CO/IL only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.