Blue Devils vs. Tar Heels Prediction
The fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils were swept in the regular season by the third-ranked rival North Carolina Tar Heels, but will have phenom Zion Williamson in the lineup tonight for the ACC Tournament semifinals clash. Can Duke carve a win over UNC this time?
Game Snapshot
841 Duke Blue Devils vs. 842 North Carolina Tar Heels
Friday, March 15, 2019
Spectrum Center at 9PM ET
TV: ESPN
Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our College Basketball Odds & Betting Page.
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Blue Devils are a 3.5-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 164 points. As of Friday morning, 77 percent of public bets are pouring in on Duke. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest info.
Williamson scores 29 in return
With the return of Williamson from a knee injury, Duke secured an 84-72 victory Thursday night over Syracuse in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. Duke led 34-28 at halftime and pulled away after the break. Duke shot 29-of-54 from the field, 7-of-23 from 3-point range plus 19-of-28 at the free throw line. Williamson shot a perfect 13-of-13 from the floor including 1-of-1 from 3-point distance while going only 2-of-9 at the charity stripe. He also accounted for 14 rebounds, five steals and two assists. R.J. Barrett tallied 23 points, six boards and two assists. Tre Jones added 15 points, eight assists, two rebounds and steals.
Tar Heels ease past Cardinals
North Carolina earned an 83-70 win over Louisville Thursday night in the ACC Tournament semifinals. The Tar Heels (27-5) led 45-35 at halftime on its way to the win. North Carolina shot 30-of-65 from the field, 7-of-20 from 3-point range plus 16-of-21 at the free throw line. Luke Maye led the way for the Tar Heels with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting including 1-of-3 from 3-point range plus 4-of-6 at the free throw line. He also notched nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Coby White accounted for 19 points, seven boards and six assists. Cameron Johnson had 14 points, four rebounds and three dimes. Garrison Brooks added 11 points in 23 minutes.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Duke
The Blue Devils are 5-2 ATS in their last seven Friday games. Duke is 2-6-1 ATS in its last nine ACC games.
North Carolina
The Tar Heels are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Friday games. North Carolina is 6-2 ATS in its last eight ACC games.
Prediction:
Duke is a different and much scarier beast with Williamson in the lineup. He played only minute total in the two meetings with North Carolina this season and looked great in his return from injury last night. Duke is favored for good reason after dropping both regular season meetings. Go with the Blue Devils tonight in what should be a highly entertaining game.
NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: DUKE BLUE DEVILS -3.5