Pointspread: North Carolina -6 Total Line: 157 1/2 In one of college basketball's greatest rivalries, the Duke Blue Devils square-off against the North Carolina Tar Heels this Wednesday night in Chapel Hill. Game time for this ACC clash is set for 9 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Duke comes into this game licking its wounds a bit after a 78-74 overtime loss to Miami this past Sunday as a 12-point home favorite. The loss dropped it to 19-4 straight-up on the year and a costly 9-14 against the spread. The Blue Devils are 9-2 SU on the road but just 5-6 ATS. The total has gone 6-5 in the 11 games. This game becomes a huge test for a Duke ballclub that is ranked 12th in the nation in scoring with 79.8 points a game and shooting 48.2 percent from the floor, but has struggled with consistency against some of the better teams it has faced. The result has been a 3-2 SU record in its last five games. North Carolina extended its current winning streak to five games with an 83-74 victory over Maryland, but could not cover as a 12-point home favorite. The Tar Heels are now 20-3 SU overall, a perfect 14-0 SU at home, and tied with Florida State for the lead in the ACC at 7-1 SU. They are 11-11 ATS overall and 7-6 ATS at home with the total staying "under" in eight of the 13 games. The Tar Heels continue to lead the nation in scoring with 84.1 points a game and rebounds with 46.3 a game. They are shooting 47 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from three-point range. North Carolina's only real weakness has been from the free-throw line where it is converting on just 65.1 percent of its attempts. Duke is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games following a SU loss, but 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games overall. The total has gone "over" in five of its last seven games. North Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last five games following a SU win and 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 ACC games. The total has stayed "under" in seven of its last 10 games following an ATS loss. Head-to-head in this storied series, the road team is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings and the total has stayed "under" in the last six. The Blue Devils have won four of the last five games SU and are 4-2 ATS in the last six, but the Tar Heels come into this game in better form and make a statement with a convincing win at home. The Pick: North Carolina 82 Duke 73
