Duke vs North Carolina Prediction 2/7/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels meet Saturday in college basketball action from the Dean E. Smith Assembly Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tar Heels prediction.

Duke Blue Devils Recap

The Duke Blue Devils come into this game looking to add on to their 67-49 win over Boston College last time out to sit at 21-1 this season. After this game, Duke will head on the road for a game against Pitt.

Blue Devils Looking To Stay Unbeaten In Conference

Cameron Boozer leads Duke across the board with 23.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG and 4 APG while Isaiah Evans has 14.2 PPG with 3.1 RPG and Patrick Ngongba II has 11 PPG with 6.2 RPG to cap off the trio of double-digit scorers for Duke up to this point in the year. Caleb Foster has 8.7 PPG with 3.6 RPG and 2.5 APG and Cayden Boozer has 6.3 PPG with 2.8 APG as well this season. As a team, Duke is averaging 84.1 PPG on 49.9% shooting from the field, 33.8% from three and 71.6% from the foul line this season.

North Carolina Tar Heels Recap

The North Carolina Tar Heels come into this game come into this game looking to add on to their 87-77 win over Syracuse last time out to sit at 18-4 this season. After this game, North Carolina will head on the road for a game against Miami.

Tar Heels Win 4 In A Row

Caleb Wilson leads the Tar Heels in scoring and rebounding with 20 PPG and 9.8 RPG along with 2.8 APG while Henri Veesaar has 16.8 PPG with 9 RPG. Seth Trimble has 14.1 PPG along with 4.2 RPG and 2.8 APG while Luka Bogavac has 10 PPG with 2.6 RPG and 2.5 APG to cap off the Tar Heels’ group of double-digit scorers. Kyan Evans has 3 APG to lead the Tar Heels in assists so far this season. As a team, North Carolina is averaging 83.1 PPG on 48.1% shooting from the field, 34.4% from three and 68.4% from the foul line this season. 

Duke Blue Devils @ North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Trends: February 7, 2026

Why the North Carolina Tar Heels will win

• North Carolina has won each of its last 14 games as an AP-ranked team at Dean E. Smith Center.
• Duke has lost each of its last four games against AP-ranked opponents at Dean E. Smith Center.
• North Carolina has won the first half in each of its last 11 games at Dean E. Smith Center.

Why the Duke Blue Devils will win

• Duke has won each of its last 20 games against Conference opponents.
• North Carolina has lost each of its last seven games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
• Duke has won the first half in each of its last 16 February games as a top-10 AP-ranked team.

Total Points Facts

• Each of North Carolina’s last eight games have produced a total of 160+ points.
• Six of Duke’s last seven night games against Conference opponents have produced a total of 151 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

• North Carolina ranks T10th among Division 1 teams for assist to turnover ratio this season (1.80).
• North Carolina ranks 12th among Division 1 teams for turnover percentage this season (11.9%).
• Duke ranks 2nd among Division 1 teams for defensive rating this season (93.2).
• Duke ranks 3rd among Division 1 teams for opponent free throws made per game this season (9.8).

Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Prediction

I’m on the Blue Devils here. I get the case to be made for either side in this game, as this is arguably hte premier rivalry in college sports. However, Duke has been the better team this season and I’m done trusting Hubert Davis coached teams in big step up games. I think Duke’s the better team and pull away at the foul line to bag the win and cover here.

Chris Ruffolo's Pick: Duke -5.5