The Duke Blue Devils have enjoyed the upper hand over rival North Carolina Tar Heels with an 11-4 straight up and 8-7 against the spread record in the last 15 meetings between these two teams. The Blue Devils will try to pick up another win over the Tar Heels this Thursday night at home.
North Carolina vs. Duke 2017 odds: Blue Devils favored over rival Tar Heels on Thursday
The Duke Blue Devils get the nod at the sportsbooks against the North Carolina Tar Heels for Thursday night, and own the slight ATS edge in the rivalry in recent years.
Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Duke is a 2.5-point home favorite in Durham at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. North Carolina leads the all-time series between these two teams with a 134-108 record against Duke.
With a 72-64 win over Pittsburgh last Saturday, Duke won its third game in a row, marking the first time the Blue Devils have won three straight since December. Duke has uncharacteristically struggled this season in conference play with a 6-4 SU and 3-7 ATS record over its last 10 games.
The Blue Devils have plenty of firepower with Luke Kennard, Grayson Allen and Jayson Tatum all averaging over 15.5 points per game, and it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Duke puts it all together for a late-season run.
The Blue Devils are rarely just a single-digit favorite at home. In their last 19 instances as a home favorite of 9.5 points or less dating back to 2008, the Blue Devils are 18-1 SU and 11-6-2 ATS per the OddsShark College Basketball Database.
Betting Line / Total: Duke -2.5 / 161.5 Points
Trend: The Blue Devils are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games.
Trend: The Tar Heels are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games as underdogs.
Ranking fifth in college basketball in offensive production with 87.8 points per game, the Tar Heels won’t be intimidated by Duke’s impressive offense.
The Tar Heels have been more consistent than the Blue Devils this season with a 21-4 SU and 13-12 ATS record including a current stretch of 9-1 SU over their last 10 games. North Carolina is 1-10 SU and 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games as a betting underdog.
The UNDER is 4-0 in North Carolina’s last four games overall for totals bettors.
Given the history between these two programs, every game between Duke and North Carolina is an event. This season’s college basketball landscape is wide open as March approaches, and the team that comes away with a win in this one will get a nice boost on its resume.
North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils
When: Thursday, February 9, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina
