College basketball's most intense rivalry is set to tip off at the end of the regular season with everything on the line. The Tobacco Road Rivalry again features a top-10 matchup between No. 7 North Carolina and hosts No. 9 Duke.
Last month in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels beat the Blue Devils 93-84 to take command of the ACC standings. And while both teams have hit some ups and downs since then, North Carolina has clinched a share of the regular-season ACC title. Each team sits at 24-6 in the regular season and at Nos. 1 and 2 in the ACC standings. North Carolina is 16-3 in the ACC, while Duke is 15-4. If Duke wins at home, the two eternal rivals will be forced to share the ACC regular-season title going into the ACC Tournament.
How to watch Duke vs. UNC
UNC and Duke have been, far and away, the best teams in the ACC on the men's side of the college basketball world this year. No other team has sniffed the top 25 for any real amount of time this year. This is the biggest game of the ACC's basketball schedule this year, and here's how to watch. The game will air on ESPN in a primetime slot at 6:30 pm. ET (3:30 pm PT). WatchESPN, ESPN+, fuboTV, and nearly any cable TV streaming service will carry the game online if you need any help getting access.
Date: Saturday, March 9 | 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC
T.V. channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
FanDuel Odds: Duke -4.5
Duke storylines
Duke is hunting revenge and an ACC title. Not to mention, they're favored and at home, but they still sit behind their rivals in the polls and most bracket projections. And while a win on Saturday won't do anything to guarantee a change before the NCAA Tournament hits, thanks to the ACC Tournament still to come, it'll be a good start. However, Duke hasn't had an easy road to pulling UNC back to within one game in the ACC standings this last month.
Most recently, their upset loss to Wake Forrest and outbursts over Kyle Filipowski's injury after court-storming have dominated the headlines. But they've won every game other than that one since their loss to UNC in February. Time to show they can learn from their mistakes and to end the regular season on a high. It's Jon Scheyer's time to do what you get paid for as Duke head coach.
UNC storylines
The Tar Heels lost three of five last month, with their only win coming in that game against Duke. That's the only reason they haven't fully locked up the ACC title.
But if you ask anyone in Chapel Hill, they'd rather beat Duke and lose three other games than vice versa. Hubert Davis has UNC bouncing back from that dip in form, though. They've won five games in a row and are as hot as they've been all year going into the most important game in the regular season.
While, in all likelihood, Duke and UNC are the heavy favorites to meet again in just a few weeks in the final of the ACC Tournament, that doesn't take anything away from this one. Bragging rights for sweeping the regular season over their hated rivals are hard to come by but always worth it. They last swept Duke in 2021 but took two of three in 2022, including Coach K's final home game and final game in the Final Four. Armando Bacot and RJ Davis will dictate how far this team goes in this game and in the NCAA Tournament.
Follow Us
Subscribe