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We could have a matchup between two heated undefeated rivals in this game if North Carolina's defense hadn't struggled so mightily against James Madison University last season. Instead, we'll see undefeated Duke battle North Carolina as the Tar Heels attempt to bring the Blue Devils down to their one-loss record. North Carolina has won five straight games against Duke, with last season's victory coming in a 47-45 overtime thriller. It's the first time the teams battled this early in the season since 2017. The rivalry is usually kept until later in the year. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a North Carolina-Duke prediction and pick.
North Carolina was performing well through the season's first three games. They were undefeated and their defense hadn't allowed more than 20 points in either game. Their success made the result against James Madison even more surprising, as the Dukes tallied 70 points for the 70-50 victory. JMU had 53 points in the first half, but the Tar Heels settled down and won the second half 29-17. Was the first half an anomaly or is it a sign of things to come for Mack Brown's program?
Duke's competition hasn't been top-tier this season, but they did have a 26-20 victory as underdogs over Northwestern. The Blue Devils are 4-0 to begin the season and have a six-game win streak dating back to last season.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: North Carolina-Duke Odds
North Carolina: +2.5 (-104)
Moneyline: +115
Duke: -2.5 (-118)
Moneyline: -138
Over: 56.5 (-105)
Under: 56.5 (-115)
How to Watch North Carolina vs. Duke
Article Continues Below
Time: 4 PM ET/1 PM PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why North Carolina Could Cover The Spread/Win
It's hard to believe that North Carolina's performance against JMU was a sign of things to come for the program. They've already defeated Minnesota this season by a score of 19-17, and their defense has dominated some lesser competition. Duke's offense hasn't been lighting it up, as they scored just 26 points per game against Elon, Northwestern, and UConn. Their 45-point performance against Middle Tennessee was more promising, but the Tar Heels should offer more resistance.
Why Duke Could Cover The Spread/Win
Can North Carolina stop anyone on defense after last week's showing? It was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the JMU football program, but the Dukes made the Tar Heels look like a JV team in Week 4. It may have been an off-day for North Carolina's defense, but it couldn't have built much confidence to get walked around the field like they did last Saturday. North Carolina's defeat was so devastating that Mack Brown told his players he was resigning after the game before eventually walking back the claim.
Final North Carolina-Duke Prediction & Pick
Everyone is writing off North Carolina after their loss to JMU, but their performance in the second half is much more indicative of where they are as a program. Duke hasn't faced stiff competition this season which doesn't make their 4-0 start as surprising as people would make you believe. If Duke dominates in this game, their place at the top of the ACC will be worthy of recognition, but the Tar Heels could show they are still a step above in this game. Take North Carolina to pull off the upset victory in this game, as they should be the favorites but are undervalued after last week's results.
Final North Carolina-Duke Prediction & Pick: North Carolina ML (+115)
