Duke @ UNC
The greatest rivalry in sports is renewed as the Blue Devils head to Chapel Hill to finish the regular season.
After Hubert Davis led Carolina to an unbelievable first season last year, which ended with them losing to Villanova in the Championship game, they are now at risk of missing the NCAA Tournament completely. However, being the only blue blood on the bubble, the NCAA will almost certainly find a way to fit them in as long as they don’t embarrass themselves in the ACC Tournament.
While both teams could improve their seed for the ACC Tournament with a win today, that matters very little. The existing rivalry is enough to fuel this game, and any other extenuating stakes are entirely irrelevant.
When the Tar Heels visited Cameron Indoor in February, Duke defeated them in one of the lowest-scoring battles they have had in years. Today, bettors should see a faster pace of play that will favor the Blue Devils IF they can hit their shots.
After what happened last year, Duke would love to go into the Dean Dome and spoil Senior Night for Leaky Black and Armando Bacot, but the Blue Devils have not fared as well on the road as they have at home, and given the atmosphere, UNC should be able to win and cover.
UNC (-110) Over 142.5 (-110)
Middle Tennessee State @ Texas-El Paso
The Blue Raiders close out their season with a visit to El Paso. Despite losing eight of their last ten games, UTEP is hosting as just a one-point underdog.
Middle Tennessee has already locked up a first-round bye in the Conference USA Tournament. They are playing for pride in this one, as there is no improving their place in the standings. It’s also worth noting that they have won their last three games against the Miners; they blew them out by twelve at home last month.
It’s Senior Day for UTEP, and while they have played well at home this year, the Blue Raiders will be too much for them to handle — even on such a special day.
Middle Tennessee (-115)
