Duke Takes on North Carolina at Chapel Hill

It’s time for the greatest rivalry in college basketball. Zach Rance takes the temperature on Tobacco Road.

There is no bigger rivalry in college basketball – and perhaps in all of sports – than North Carolinaand Duke. The two colleges will play for the 233rd time on Wednesday night when the Blue Devils make the 10 minute trip along Route 501 to the Dean Dome for a huge match-up between two teams in the thick of the ACC Championship race. For anyone who enjoys a little NCAA basketball betting, this is the game to bet.

Since getting obliterated by Florida State more than three week ago, the Tar Heels have regained their momentum by winning five consecutive games. However, none of these games were against ranked opponents; the Blue Devils, currently ranked seventh in the nation, will provide a more formidable test for the Tar Heels.

With the talent that North Carolina can put on the floor every night, they should be ready for such a challenge. The Tar Heels lead the ACC in points, rebounds, assists and blocks per game. Forwards Harrison Barnes and John Henson are both among the top 10 scorers in the conference, which gives North Carolina a very talented front line that can cause all kinds of problems for opposing defenses.

Unfortunately for Duke, their defense has been less than stellar in recent games. In terms of their opponents’ field goal percentage, Duke has the worst defense in the ACC. This has made it very difficult for the Blue Devils to finish off teams down the stretch, which became very apparent when they nearly gave up a 22-point second-half lead against St. John’s.

Of course, this has not caused too many problems for the Blue Devils so far because they have been able to rely on their prolific offense to inundate their opponents with points. Duke is shooting 48.8 percent from the floor, which makes them the most efficient offensive squad in the conference. This efficiency is helped by Duke’s own talented forwards, Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly, both of whom have field goal percentages of over 50 percent.

In addition to their front line, Duke has a talented group of guards led by Austin Rivers, who leads the Blue Devils with more than 14 points per game. The Tar Heels will need to guard these players very closely, or they may become vulnerable to Duke’s proficient three-point shooting: at 40 percent, Duke has the best three-point shooting percentage in the ACC.

With both teams in the top 10, this match-up will be even more exciting than usual for anyone who participates in online sports betting. With the game being played inChapel Hill, the Tar Heels should have a bit of an advantage, especially considering their defensive capabilities. As such, a bettor may wish to consider giving Duke a point or two if the spread is tight. However, anyone wishing to bet this game will need to follow the news concerning Harrison Barnes, who re-injured his ankle in Saturday’s game againstMaryland. Although he should be able to play on Wednesday, his condition should be monitored closely until the opening tip.