Pinnacle Odds: North Carolina +2.5 at Arizona Wildcats -2.5 Total 160.5
By Greg Dempson
The North Carolina Tar Heels and Blue Devils are as synonymous to winning in basketball as the New England Patriots and Alabama Crimson Tide are to winning in football. This nationally televised game has always been a must watch for me and this marks the 143 time that one of the two teams has been ranked when they meet.
North Carolina is ranked #8 while Duke is #18. Will Grayson Allen be able to “trip up” the Tar Heels tonight? Allen was suspended for a game earlier in the season due to a third tripping incident the past two seasons.
He led Duke in scoring in both meetings with North Carolina last season, tallying 23 and 29 points. The Blue Devils have won four out of the past five games and 11 of the last 15 match-ups, but North Carolina won last year at Cameron Indoor Stadium, (76–72.)
The Tar Heels have the better conference record at 9–2 vs. 6–4 for the Blue Devils and this will be the first nationally ranked team to play at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season. This will be the fourth time that North Carolina is ranked higher than Duke but Duke has won two of the last three.
When reviewing common opponents the Tar Heels are 7–2 scoring an average of 85.0 PPG while allowing an average of 76.2 PPG for an average margin of victory of 8.8 PPG. The Blue Devils are 6–3 vs. common opponents averaging 82.6 points on offense while holing those common opponents to an average of 75.4 PPG for an average MOV of 7.2 PPG.
Tobacco Road Warriors
- From game 16 out, Duke is 17–29 ATS vs. up-tempo teams averaging 62 or more shots per game.
- North Carolina/Coach Williams is +20.80-units after four straight games where the team committed 14 or less turnovers.
- The Blue Devils are 08–18 ATS after two consecutive conference games.
- The Tar Heels are 15–04 ATS at Duke since 1997.
- Duke is 09–18 ATS after one or more consecutive unders.
- North Carolina is 21–10 ATS after a game where they out rebounded an opponent by 15 or more.
Every Edge Record in Review
- The Wildcats couldn’t chop all that wood last night when hosting Stanford and I’m 1–2 ATS in College hoops at Every Edge and 3–1 in the NBA.
College Basketball Pick
My Every Edge selection for this evening is on the North Carolina Tar Heels at +2.5 points.