College Basketball Picks & Predictions for Saturday, March 5, 2011
By Nate Steele
CHAPEL HILL, NC (TheSpread) -Duke and North Carolina meet on the hardwood Saturday night with the Atlantic Coast Conference title on the line. Here is my pick for the game.
View Current College Basketball Betting Odds
Fourth-ranked Duke is 27-3 overall and 13-2 in the ACC, while host North Carolina is 23-6 overall and 13-2 in the ACC. The winner lays claim as the ACC regular season champion. Duke is winners of eight of its last nine games. North Carolina is riding a six-game winning streak.
Oddsmakers and online sports book Sportsbook.com have listed the game as a pick'em. An over-under was not made available overnight. Here is a look at some of the trends for Saturday night's game.
Duke vs. North Carolina, 8:00PM EST (View Matchup)
The underdog is 14-6 ATS in the last 20 meetings between Duke and North Carolina. The road team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings between the two schools. The under is 5-0 in Duke's last five overall. North Carolina is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games versus a team with a winning straight up record.
My pick for this game is Duke PK. While North Carolina has played some masterful basketball as of late to give itself a chance at snatching the ACC title away from its rivals, Duke is the defending national champion for a reason. The Blue Devils are much more experienced for a situation like Saturday night.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICK: DUKE PK