The No. 1 Duke Blue Devils host the No. 17 UNC Tar Heels on Saturday in an ACC college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 6:30 p.m. ET in Durham, North Carolina.
The Blue Devils are listed as 17.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 146.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this ACC college basketball matchup.
Duke vs. UNC prediction, preview
This is one of the great rivalries in all of sports. Duke and UNC have played some spectacular games over the years. That includes the matchup that took place exactly a month ago today in Chapel Hill, where North Carolina gave Duke its second loss of the season in a big upset. Unfortunately, this second matchup has been spoiled by a massive injury. UNC’s superstar freshman forward Caleb Wilson is out for this game and the rest of the season. Wilson has a chance to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft this year. He leads the Tar Heels in points, assists, steals and blocks per game this season. Without Wilson, it will be hard for UNC to pull off another upset against Duke. It also majorly impacts any chance it had at a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Duke has its eyes set on a national championship this season. It was narrowly knocked out of the Final Four last year, but is arguably even better this season. Duke’s freshman forward Cameron Boozer leads the team in points, rebounds and assists per game. He ranks seventh in the nation in scoring and 14th in rebounding. That is why he is the heavy favorite to win the Wooden Award as college basketball’s best player this season. While the Blue Devils want to win the ACC Tournament and a national title, they will also be desperate for revenge after losing to their archrivals earlier this season.
Duke vs. UNC pick
My best bet for this game is on Duke -17.5. This is a chance for Duke to take out a lot of anger on a UNC team that knocked it off earlier this season. The Blue Devils are the far more talented team, even with a healthy Caleb Wilson. However, in that first matchup, UNC clearly wanted it more and fed off its great home crowd. This time around, Cameron Indoor will have an incredible atmosphere for Senior Night, the regular-season finale and a massive rivalry game. Without Wilson, UNC is vastly outmanned against Duke. Wilson was phenomenal in the win over Duke, scoring 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting and playing all 40 minutes.
This is a huge spread, but Duke has been demolishing teams all season. Duke has won its games by an average of 20.6 points per game this season, the highest point differential of any team in the country. Its last three wins have come by an average of 32.3 points per game. That includes a 26-point win over No. 11 Virginia. Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans should take it to UNC. Meanwhile, UNC will struggle to score without Caleb Wilson. Coach Jon Scheyer will not take his foot off the gas in this rivalry matchup. Duke should win this game by at least 20 points.
