Duke Blue Devils vs North Carolina Tar Heels Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/07/2026

by Rod Pearson

Friday, Feb 06, 2026
Game Time: 6:30 pm ET, Saturday, February 7, 2026
Venue:  Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC 
Where to Watch:  ESPN


Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Duke -5.5, UNC +5.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points
Bet365:  Point Spread:  Duke -5.5, UNC +5.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points
BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Duke -5.5, UNC +5.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points

Season Record

Duke Blue Devils:  21-1 (10-0) (1st place, ACC)
North Carolina Tar Heels:  18-4 (6-3) (5th place, ACC)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Kyle Hunter is on a HOT STREAK in college basketball on a 10-0 CBB RUN for +$10,000 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Recent Form
Duke Blue Devils:  5-0  last 5
North Carolina Tar Heels:  4-1  last 5


Duke Blue Devils vs North Carolina Tar Heels Preview and Analysis


Duke is entering this game with a 21-1 record overall, a 10-0 record in conference games, and they are 7-0 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Boston College Eagles in their last game. Cameron Boozer led the team in points in that game with 19 while Isaiah Evans was next on the team with 12. Maliq Brown led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Cameron Boozer led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 48% from the field, 27.8% from 3-point range, and 70% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 84.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 63.6 PPG against them. Duke has an ATS record of 13-9 this season and their O/U record is 7-15.


UNC is entering this game with an 18-4 record overall, a 6-3 conference record, and they are 13-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Syracuse Orange in their last game. Caleb Wilson led the team in points in that game with 22 while Henri Veesaar was next on the team with 17. Henri Veesaar led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Henri Veesaar led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 48.2% from the field, 44.4% from 3-point range, and 71.4% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 83.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 70.6 PPG against them. UNC has an ATS record of 12-10 this season and their O/U record is 11-11.



Duke vs North Carolina Prediction

The current betting odds have Duke listed as a 5.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Duke has looked great in their games this season with their 21-1 record overall and their 10-0 conference record which has them right at the top of the ACC. They have also been a great road team with their 7-0 road record this year. Meanwhile, North Carolina has looked really good in their games this season with their 18-4 record overall and their 6-3 conference record which has them in the top half of the ACC. They have looked great on their home court too with their 13-0 home record this season. UNC has been rolling lately with 4 wins in a row now and most of those wins have been by double digits too. They have also been beating up on a lot of bad opponents in the ACC though, and they haven't really been tested too much in the conference. Duke has also been rolling in their games lately and they have looked like one of the best teams in the nation all year, currently ranked inside the top 5 too. Their only loss this season was a really tight game against Texas Tech who is a solid team, but they are undefeated in the ACC and have a ton of momentum on their side with 10 wins in a row now. Duke has also been blowing teams out in a majority of their games and no team in the ACC so far has really looked that close to them. Duke is a true contender to win the National Championship this season and as good as UNC has looked lately, they don't have the talent to hang around with this Duke team. The best way to place a bet here is on Duke to cover the spread in this game. 

Duke North Carolina Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, February 7, 2026 (6:30 pm ET start time) is Duke 82 UNC 72.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Duke Blue Devils North Carolina Tar Heels prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAB predictions and previews.

NCAAB Betting Trends


Duke Blue Devils: 19-6 ATS as a road favorite or pick. 35-17 ATS after a win by 15 points or more. 24-12 ATS versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 17-9 UNDER as a road favorite or pick. 22-14 UNDER versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game.

North Carolina Tar Heels: 22-30 1H ATS when the total is 150 to 159.5. 14-23 1H ATS off a home win. 13-20 1H ATS versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game. 24-17 UNDER after playing a home game. 

Key Injuries


Duke Blue Devils:  I. Ufochukwu (C) Out - Undisclosed. S. Wilkins (G-F) Out - Redshirt.

North Carolina Tar Heels:  J. Brown (C) Questionable - Foot. I. Matlekovic (C) Questionable - Hand.

Notable Quotes


"Great to get our 10th conference win, all these are precious. Credit Boston College with their defense, I thought they were very disruptive and stood us up. We have to be better at handling that in the second half. Loved our defense and our ability to get off to quick start was great. Proud, like I said, to get this win." - Jon Scheyer after his team’s win against BC in their last game. 


“The main thing I’ve tried to communicate to the guys is that our preparation, our process, the way we practice and the way we play is no different. The only difference is the circus is coming to town. Other than that, it’s another game for us to compete and another opportunity for us to grow as a team. And leading up to a game, there’s absolutely nothing different.” - Hubert Davis on this upcoming game against Duke.


Starting Lineups


Duke Blue Devils
C. Boozer 
I. Evans 
C. Foster 
P. Ngongba 
D. Sarr

North Carolina Tar Heels
L. Bogavac 
K. Evans 
J. Stevenson 
H. Veesaar 
C. Wilson

Statistical Leaders


Duke Blue Devils
PPG: Cameron Boozer (23.3)
APG: Cameron Boozer (4)
Reb/G: Cameron Boozer (9.9)

North Carolina Tar Heels
PPG: Caleb Wilson (20)
APG: Kyan Evans (3)
Reb/G: Caleb Wilson (9.8)

Coaches:
Duke Blue Devils: Jon Scheyer (4th season)
North Carolina Tar Heels: Hubert Davis (5th season)


Rod Pearson

About the Author:

Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life.  He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years.  In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective.  Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

© 2026 Al McMordie's BigAl.com. All Rights Reserved.