Duke men's basketball takes on rival North Carolina in its regular-season finale Saturday evening in Chapel Hill. As the Blue Devils attempt to complete the season sweep, the Blue Zone has you covered with some can't-miss prop bets:
Duke (+3.5) vs. North Carolina
Act two of the biggest rivalry in college basketball tips off Saturday evening as Duke travels down Tobacco Road to the Dean Dome. Since their last entanglement, in which a packed Cameron Indoor Stadium and 20 points from junior captain Jeremy Roach powered the Blue Devils to victory, both teams have found serious momentum.
Before finding its winning ways again, Duke turned around and lost two games, first falling victim to a blowout at the hands of Miami. The 22-point loss was a typical hangover game, just two days after the massive win against the Tar Heels. The Blue Devils then nearly upset then-No. 8 Virginia on the road before an officiating error may have influenced what would have been a massive Quad I win. Since that loss to the Cavaliers on Feb. 11, however, Duke is undefeated in ACC play, picking up wins against Notre Dame, Syracuse, Louisville, Virginia Tech and Triangle rival N.C. State, who blew out the Blue Devils in Raleigh earlier this season.
North Carolina has also won its last three contests, including a massive 71-63 upset win against then-No. 6 Virginia. Graduate forward Pete Nance went off in the Dean Dome, scoring 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Coupled with 16 points from RJ Davis, the Tar Heels never trailed. In its most recent matchup Monday, North Carolina bested Florida State by 11 points, comfortably covering the spread thanks to 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from Leaky Black.
Just like last time, this game could go either way, which makes the rivalry such fantastic television. Although Duke will not have Cameron Indoor to support it, it will have freshman forward Dariq Whitehead back in the lineup, who was out with a lower leg sprain the last time these two teams faced off. A big defensive game down low from freshman center Dereck Lively II is enough to put the Blue Devils over the edge and enter the ACC tournament with another quality win.
Pick: Duke +3.5
Over/Under 142.5 total points
For this season’s first round of the rivalry, it seemed the game was destined to hit the over. Both teams possessed enough offensive firepower to explode for copious buckets at any time. However, the pressure of the rivalry game seemed to overcome those abilities, as both programs shot below 40% from the field and had a combined 19 turnovers. Since then, Duke has only grown tougher defensively, keeping opponents under 70 points in its last six games. The Tar Heels also have their own defensive starpower, as Armando Bacot and Nance both average at least a block per game. Expect Saturday to be a slower defensive affair, just like their first matchup of the season.
Pick: Under 142.5 points
Dereck Lively II over/under 2.5 blocks
Lively put on a defensive clinic in the first Tobacco Road rivalry game of his career. The Westtown School product was a monster in the paint, rejecting eight shots. As North Carolina was able to beat Duke on the perimeter, a sliding Lively loomed large and swatted away layup attempts. His most effective denial, a vicious stuffing of Caleb Love to keep the Blue Devil lead at two, came with just more than four minutes remaining. In order for Duke to win on the road, it will need another strong defensive performance from Lively, who's now averaging 2.3 blocks per game. Look for the Philadelphia native to continue terrorizing the Tar Heels around the basket.
Pick: Over 2.5 blocks
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.