Let's be real: we all expected the UNC basketball program to be considered heavy underdogs leading up to the Tar Heels first meeting with rival Duke on Saturday evening.
As we inch closer to tip-off, we now know what the opening point spread is. To no surprise, North Carolina is the underdog, a double-digit one at that.
#UNC opens up as 13.5 point underdogs at Duke. pic.twitter.com/4xWyiuUJP5
— UNC Zone (@ZoneUnc) January 31, 2025
The Tar Heels open up as 13.5 point underdogs for their trip to Durham. This marks the biggest point spread in favor of the Blue Devils since the meeting on March 7, 2020, a game that Duke opened up as 11-point favorites and won the game by 13 points on their home floor.
North Carolina hasn't done particularly well against the spread this season, coming into Saturday's matchup with a 7-14-1 record against it. Duke has been a little better against the spread, posting a 12-8 record thus far this season.
With the way that the UNC basketball program has been playing, it shouldn't be a surprise that the Tar Heels are considered double-digit underdogs in this one. In fact, it might be surprising to some that the spread isn't even farther apart, given North Carolina's struggles combined with Duke's success.
If you're looking for a positive here: the last five meetings between the two heated rivals have been decided by 9 points or fewer.
Even when one of these teams is having a "down year," you can always expect this rivalry to bring out the very best in each program.