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Sometimes you want to make a quick pit stop, empty the bladder, grab a bag of salty snacks and limber up the limbs before hitting the open road again. For the fast-minded who enjoy simple $2 scratchers hoping to uncover the jackpot-winning image, here are quick thoughts and the lean on Duke vs. North Carolina.
No. 2 Duke (27-3, 18-1) at North Carolina (20-11, 13-6)
Date: Saturday, March 8
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
With the passion, pageantry and, in rare but well-documented instances, pugilism, Duke vs. North Carolina is undeniably one of sports’ most storied rivalries.
Though overhyped this year given the wide disparity on where the teams currently stand in NCAA Tournament projections, the second ballyhooed bout, this time in Chapel Hill, has much at stake.
Let’s hope this game is closer than the first meeting, which was a lopsided affair easily won by Duke in a sweat-free 87-70 victory in early February. That day, the sock drawer was completely reorganized.
The pick — Duke-UNC OVER 157.5 (-110, BetMGM)
Despite a handsome NET (No. 38), strength of schedule (No. 5) and other positive bracket-related metrics, Carolina is a miserable 1-10 against Quadrant 1 competition this season. “Must win” greatly undersells the importance of knocking off its archnemesis.
To the Tar Heels’ credit, they have smoked the scoreboard of late.
Over the last 30 days, they’re No. 4 nationally in effective field goal percentage offense, splashing 57.1% on 2-pointers and a scorching 44.7% on 3s. Ian Jackson, Drake Powell and even the streaky one himself, RJ Davis, have drained repeated triples. UNC, which also is terrific at generating second chances (34.4% of their possessions in their last 10 games), piles up points in various ways.
Duke, however, is a destroyer equipped with an endless supply of Battleship-sinking shots. No matter where you place that small submarine, the Blue Devils will find it and send it to the deep.
[ Bracket Big Board: Brad Evans' latest NCAA Tournament projections ]
Since February 1, Cooper Flagg and company rank No. 1 overall in BartTorvik’s BARTHAG rating, slotting in the top 10 in effective field goal percentage offense and defense. Sure, Jon Scheyer’s peaking group has beaten up on ACC lowlights, but it also cast Illinois to an alternate dimension in a 110-67 rout at Madison Square Garden.
Given the outside marksmanship of Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor, Flagg’s stellar all-around game and Khaman Maluach’s rim protection, Duke exhibits zero weaknesses.
Since 2021, the tussle on Tobacco Road has cashed the OVER eight of the last 10 times. The Blue Devils also have hit the OVER in eight of their last 10 games. Practically in lockstep, the Heels are 7-2-1 to the OVER during the same span. Trendy.
Because of North Carolina’s brisk pace and both teams’ sizzling offensive production, a contest in the 80s feels right.
Land repeated punches, old foes.
Season record: 25-23, +1.42 units