The point spread for the first-ever NCAA Tournament meeting between North Carolina and Duke settled at betting market consensus of Blue Devils -4.5 by Monday morning. Duke was available at -4 on Sunday night, per odds that opened as the Tar Heels held a comfortable second-half lead over St. Peter’s in the final game of the Elite Eight. The archrivals are set to meet Saturday at the Final Four at Caesars Superdome in Louisiana.
The best moneyline price we’re seeing on Duke as of this Monday morning update is -195 at DraftKings, while BetRivers deals +180 on the underdog UNC.
Saturday’s tilt marks the third time these foes will have played each other this season, each winning and covering on the other’s home floor. In the more recent clash, on the final weekend of the regular season, UNC cruised to 94-81 outright victory as an 11-point underdog at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Back in February, Duke (-3.5) prevailed 87-67 at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Based on the spreads of those previous encounters, the Duke -4.5 line suggests either value on the favorite or that there’s not as much of a gap between these teams as previously believed.
Both of those games went ‘over’ their respective totals (153, 152.5), but the early total for the Final Four affair sits lower than either number, ranging from 150.5 to 151.
NCAAB · Sat (4/2) @ 8:51pm ET
| UNC North Carolina | at | DUKE Duke |
| Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA | ||
Record-Breaking Foes Meet In Final Four
Mike Krzyzewski has led Duke to 13 Final Fours, surpassing John Wooden for the most of all time. The N0. 2 Blue Devils had little trouble with No. 4 Arkansas on Saturday night, coasting to a 78-69 win as 4.5-point favorites.
Coach K’s quest for a sixth national championship in his final season in charge continues with a Final Four date against ACC nemesis North Carolina in the first-ever NCAA Tournament meeting between these storied programs.
The 8-seed Tar Heels are headed to New Orleans after their 69-49 victory over St. Peter’s in Philadelphia, which ended the Cinderella run of the No. 15 seed Peacocks.
UNC’s blowout over St. Peter’s marks the programs record-setting 130th NCAA Tournament win, as it entered Sunday’s Elite Eight contest tied with Kentucky at 129.
About the Author
