Duke vs. North Carolina live stream: Betting odds, TV channel, prediction

Feb 1, 2021; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard DJ Steward (2) attempts a three point shot against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2021; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard DJ Steward (2) attempts a three point shot against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Duke and North Carolina are set to renew college basketball’s greatest rivalry.

One of the highlights of any college basketball season is the first meeting between bitter rivals Duke and North Carolina. Their matchup in Durham this week takes on even more intrigue than usual since both teams are in a fight for their NCAA Tournament lives.

It looked like the Blue Devils had righted the ship after posting a solid two-win week that included a waxing of Clemson at Cameron Indoor Stadium. All of the good vibes from that win over the Tigers evaporated on Monday when Duke lost by a bucket to an extremely short-handed Miami team that entered the matchup 2-9 in ACC play.

The loss knocked the Blue Devils out of the bubble picture, adding an anchor loss to a resume that is extremely thin on quality wins. Duke is running out of time to improve its resume, making this game against the Tar Heels a must-win for Mike Krzyzewski’s team.

North Carolina enters this matchup with a better record than Duke mostly because the Tar Heels have taken care of business against teams they were supposed to beat. The problem for Roy Williams’ squad is that there isn’t a standout win on their resume, leaving them vulnerable to slipups like Tuesday’s 13-point loss to Clemson.

The difference is that North Carolina looks like a team that will be playing in an 8-9 game at the moment, giving themselves some wiggle room to improve, while Duke needs to stack wins in order to even get on the bubble. Tonight’s game could offer the Tar Heels a chance to really put the Blue Devils’ tournament hopes on life support.

How to bet and watch North Carolina at Duke

    • Date: Saturday, Feb. 6
    • Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
    • Location: Durham, NC
    • Venue: Cameron Indoor Stadium
    • TV: ESPN
    • Live Stream: WatchESPN
    • Line: Duke -3 (OddsShark)
    • Prediction: North Carolina 74, Duke 71

Next. College basketball blue bloods ranked by legacy. dark

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.