Duke-North Carolina ACC Odds: Tar Heels Favored Over Rival Blue Devils
One of college basketball’s fiercest rivalries will be rekindled Wednesday when the North Carolina Tar Heels host the Duke Blue Devils as six-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The No. 5 Tar Heels are coming off an 85-64 rout of the Pittsburgh Panthers on Sunday, covering as 10 1/2-point chalk to halt a three-game against the spread losing skid and earning just their second win at the sportsbooks as double-digit favorites in their last eight.
The victory also keeps North Carolina in the top spot in the ACC standings, one game up on No. 11 Miami, heading into Wednesday night’s Blue Devils vs. Tar Heels betting matchup at Dean Smith Center, where the squad owns a perfect 17-0 straight up record this season but is a mediocre 7-8-2 ATS.
After posting SU losses in four of five outings in mid-January, including three outright losses as betting favorites, Duke has won four straight to return to the national rankings at No. 20.
The Blue Devils continue to be a major betting disappointment, going 3-6 ATS over their past nine, extinguishing a solid 9-2 ATS run.
While Duke is looking up at UNC in the ACC standings and the national rankings, it largely has dominated its bitter rival in recent years. The Blue Devils have claimed victory in 10 of their past 13 meetings, including four of their past five on the road, and are 3-0 ATS in their past three against the Tar Heels when pegged as betting underdogs, according to the OddsShark College Basketball Database.
Elsewhere, the Hurricanes look to extend their current SU win streak to five games when they welcome the Virginia Tech Hokies on Wednesday as 13-point favorites. Miami has won seven of its last eight but has battled inconsistency at the sportsbooks, recording consecutive ATS wins just twice since New Year’s Day following a strong season-opening 8-3 ATS run.
The Hokies have claimed just one SU win in their past seven overall, and are a brutal 1-6 SU in their past seven on the road, losing by an average margin of over 11 points in their last four road contests.
Also on Wednesday, No. 18 Louisville takes on the Syracuse Orange as eight-point home chalk, while the Boston College Eagles visit the Clemson Tigers as 16 1/2-point underdogs, and the Florida State Seminoles battle the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as seven-point favorites.
Thumbnail photo via Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports Images
