Duke-North Carolina Odds & Best Bets for Huge No. 3 vs No. 7 ACC Showdown on Saturday

The showdown is set. On Saturday, North Carolina and Duke will resume a rivalry that stands above all others in college basketball.

The No. 3 Tar Heels come in after seeing its 10-game winning streak snapped by Wake Forest on Tuesday, and guard RJ Davis is eighth nationally in scoring with an average of 21.5 points per game. The No. 7 Blue Devils entered the game having won 11 out of their last 12, but did suffer a head-scratching home loss to Pittsburgh and needed a kind whistle to survive Clemson at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Tar Heels are favored by 4.5 points, and an ESPN BET matchup predictor gave UNC a 68% chance of prevailing in Chapel Hill. And once North Carolina sports betting launches March 11, bettors in the Old North State will be able to wager legally on the Tar Heels and Blue Devils—beginning with the ACC Tournament, which tips March 12.

Duke-North Carolina Odds

Duke-North Carolina Best Bets

Duke has won two straight and three of the last five over North Carolina, prevailing by five points in the Dean Dome last season. Here are two best bets to make on Saturday’s game if you’re in a state with legal sports betting:

North Carolina to Cover: The Tar Heels are simply the better team right now, a fact that’s magnified by the game being played in Chapel Hill. UNC covered the spread nine times over the course of its last 11 games, while Duke has covered in just two of its last seven. 

RJ Davis over 19.5 points: The UNC guard has found another gear and has been electric, scoring under 20 points just once over his past five games entering the week. Earlier this season Davis scored 26 or more in five straight contests, a hint of what he’s capable of.

North Carolina has emerged as the clear -650 favorite to win the ACC, and you will be able to wager on them with North Carolina betting apps once online betting launches in the state. Duke is No. 2 on the odds board at +450. 

The good news is North Carolina sports betting will also launch in time for March Madness, where the Tar Heels currently  have +1300 odds of winning the national championship, ahead of Duke at +2500.

As launch day approaches, Duke and UNC bettors will also be able to claim top North Carolina sportsbook promos, which typically offer new customers bonus bets they can then use to wager on markets offered by the betting app. You must be at least 21 years old and physically within the state to claim the promo code offers or to bet legally in North Carolina.

What Type of Promos Can NC Bettors Expect? 

The Caesars Sportsbook North Carolina promo code may be a Bet & Get of some sort with bonus bets to celebrate its launch. Or it could mirror its national offer and be a first-bet offer of up to $1,000, which refunds your stake as a bonus bet if it loses up to the maximum of $1,000.

Sports bettors will also likely be able to claim the BetMGM North Carolina bonus code, which in January awarded first-time customers $158 in bonus bets after an initial $5 wager, with use of the bonus code USATODAY.

Since ESPN has such close ties to Duke and UNC basketball as a television partner of the ACC, also look for an ESPN BET North Carolina promo code as we get closer to the March 11 launch and even the March 1 early registration start.

Also to be determined is the Fanatics Sportsbook North Carolina promo code, which could be a multi-day series of Bet & Get promotions. All offers will be confirmed by the sportsbooks as launch day approaches