Every time North Carolina and Duke meet, it is one of many best rivalries in sports activities and there’s at all times rather a lot on the road. Saturday there could be much more at stake than typical because the storied applications put together to sq. off for the primary time this season. As a substitute of the same old prizes of bragging rights and ACC positioning, one thing way more important to the identities of each applications is up for grabs this time as each groups jostle for positioning on the NCAA Match bubble.

Ranked No. 55 within the NET, UNC (11-6, 6-4 ACC) enters the assembly as one of many “First 4 Out” of the newest bracket projection from CBS Sports activities Bracketology Skilled Jerry Palm. At No. 66 within the NET, Duke (7-6, 5-4) is squarely on the unsuitable aspect of the bubble, having misplaced 4 of six video games coming into the assembly. Maybe no higher statistic summarizes the mixed struggles of those blue blood applications than this: this will likely be their first assembly during which neither is ranked since 1960.

However it’s nonetheless Duke vs. North Carolina and Mike Krzyzewski vs. Roy Williams. Even with out followers within the stands or rankings subsequent to their names, it is a showdown of paramount significance to each applications that can go a great distance towards deciding who secures a little bit of much-needed momentum heading into the ultimate weeks of the common season.

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Viewing info 

• When: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET
• The place: Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina
• TV: ESPN| Reside stream: fuboTV (Attempt free of charge) 
• LIVE updates: CBSSports.com   
  

Storylines 

Duke: The Blue Devils are coming off a deflating 77-75 loss at Miami that snapped a four-game dropping streak for the Hurricanes and ended a two-game successful streak for Duke, simply when Duke gave the impression to be turning a nook. Sophomore ahead Matthew Damage and freshman ahead Jalen Johnson are offensively dynamic gamers who can problem a protection in numerous methods. However each will likely be challenged towards UNC’s gargantuan entrance line. One other participant to observe is freshman guard Jeremy Roach, who was averaging 11.1 factors per sport by way of 9 video games earlier than going most silent over the past couple weeks.

North Carolina: Clemson had misplaced 4 of 5 video games earlier than silencing UNC 63-50 on Tuesday in what amounted to the Tar Heels’ lowest scoring sport of the season by 16 factors. The loss snapped a three-game successful streak for the Tar Heels and renewed questions on their offensive potential. UNC ranks thirty third nationally in made 3-pointers per sport with simply 5.1 and 294th in 3-point proportion at 30.2%. The energy of this group is within the publish, the place the trio of Armando Bacot, Garrison Brooks and Day’Ron Sharpe — all 6-foot-10 or taller — convey measurement, toughness and loads of inside scoring.  

Sport prediction, decide 

Homecourt benefit is not what it usually is, however Duke has received 4 straight at residence and needs to be loads amped as much as maintain that streak alive towards its archival. UNC’s lack of 3-point taking pictures provides it a small margin for error, and if the Blue Devils can get to 9 or extra 3-pointers, they need to be capable of outscore their guests while not having last-second heroics. Prediction: Duke 71, North Carolina 64

So who wins each school basketball sport in the present day? And which underdogs pull off beautiful upsets? Go to SportsLine now to get picks for each sport, all from the unbiased mannequin that simulates each sport 10,000 instances, and discover out.