College basketball picks: North Carolina-Duke prediction, odds, spread for February 4
College basketball picks: North Carolina-Duke prediction, odds, spread for February 4

The Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels renew their rivalry for the first time since their epic Final Four matchup which spelled the end of Coach K's illustrious career. Tip off from Cameron Indoor Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. ET and you can watch the game on ESPN.

Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

North Carolina vs. Duke odds

Spread: Duke -3
Over/Under: 143
Moneyline: Duke -150, North Carolina +130

Duke (16-6, 7-4) opened the season ranked No. 7 but now finds itself unranked. In fact, this will be just the third time since 2000 that Duke and UNC are both unranked when they square off. After losing so much NBA talent off last year's squad, the Blue Devils uncharacteristically find themselves looking for a star. Kyle Filipowski is the only Duke scorer who ranks in the ACC's top 30 in points per game.

UNC (15-7, 7-4) similarly opened the season ranked No. 1 in the country but has since fallen from the top 25 rankings. Armando Bacot has continued to be a beast, posting 17.7 points per game to go along with 11.4 boards (fifth-best in the nation). Caleb Love and R.J. Davis have combined to chip in an additional 32.5 points per game. The problem in Chapel Hill hasn't been the offense, but the defense. That unit allows 71.7 points per game, 245th in the nation.

The Pick: Over 143

Cameron Indoor will be rocking with the return of one of sports' great rivalries. That energy favors scoring, especially for Duke facing a North Carolina defensive unit that has been porous at times this year. That being said, the trio of Bacot, Love, and Davis will give the Tar Heels a chance to win on the road, so the safer bet is the over in a potential shootout.

  
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