March is here, and major conference tournaments are starting to pick up steam. Make sure you’re keeping your eyes on the DraftKings Sportsbook betting splits when doing your research, available for free on DK Network.
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Let’s breakdown what figures to be another classic matchup between Duke and North Carolina.
North Carolina vs. Duke (7:00pm ET)
I was a Carolina backer on Saturday, getting 11.5 points with the home team in the regular season finale. That wound up being good closing line value, and UNC even had a six-point lead well into the second half. However, it wasn’t enough, as Duke ultimately pulled away late and won the game by 13 points. Now, on a neutral floor that should see both fan bases well represented, the Tar Heels are catching just 7.5, and the number is getting bet down.
The key factor here is that Cooper Flagg suffered an ugly ankle injury against Georgia Tech on Thursday, and will likely be out until at least the start of the NCAA Tournament. Aside from Flagg, glue-guy Maliq Brown also suffered a shoulder injury. So Duke is coming into this one pretty dinged up, and catch a UNC team hungry for some pay back for Saturday night. The Tar Heels just proved to themselves that they can play with Duke, but just let the game get away from them down the stretch. Without Flagg, UNC should be able to stay even more competitive, particularly in a game that likely gets the Heels into the NCAA Tournament field if they win.
With Flagg sidelined much of the game on Thursday, Kon Knueppel went for career-highs of 28 points and eight assists against GT. But this time around, North Carolina will be prepared to focus on Knueppel with Flagg off the floor, and the Heels have far superior combinations of size and athleticism to throw at Knueppel than GT.
Look for the best effort of the season from the Tar Heels, in what should be an extremely competitive game in Charlotte.
College Basketball Pick: UNC +7.5 (-110) 2.5-units
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.
