North Carolina vs Duke: 3 Player Props and Best Bet for Saturday, March 7

Another instant classic in the making? That’s the question lingering over Tobacco Road’s showdown between the No. 17-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (24-6, 12-5 ACC) and the No. 1-ranked Duke Blue Devils (28-2, 16-1 ACC).

Their first matchup of the season took place in Chapel Hill. North Carolina came back from a double-digit margin to steal a 71-68 victory over Duke. UNC’s Seth Trimble hit a late three-pointer to secure the win, the only conference loss on the Blue Devils’ resume.

Will Saturday be a repeat game featuring a down-to-the-last-buzzer finish? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props from this anticipated ACC regular-season finale.

Duke Blue Devils’ Cameron Boozer OVER 22.5 Points

Cameron Boozer has proved time and time again why he will be a finalist for the Naismith Award. His team’s first matchup against UNC was no exception as he netted 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Blue Devils.

Since that game, Boozer has finished with 23 or more points just twice. Those efforts have come in two of the past three games, however. Follow the trends with this pick: take the talented freshman to score enough to cover his points prop wager total.

UNC Tar Heels’ Henri Veesaar UNDER 21.5 Pts + Reb

Henri Veesaar had a double-double for the Tar Heels when UNC first met Duke. The seven-footer finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, marking his 13th double-double of the season.

Since that contest, Veesaar has failed to collect more than seven rebounds in a single outing. That’s why the junior has finished with 22 total points and rebounds only twice in the past month. Expect Duke to continue this trend, preventing Veesaar from finishing with more than 21 combined points and rebounds on Saturday.

UNC Tar Heels’ Seth Trimble UNDER 13.5 Points

Trimble’s final stat line is usually not a popular play, but oddsmakers should expect significant action on this senior’s scoring prop line. The 6-foot-3 guard finished with 16 points against Duke in their first matchup, including the dagger to ice the game.

Since then, Trimble has posted a wide range of point totals. He finished with 30 points against Louisville two weeks ago, but he also netted just four points in his two games prior to his season-best outburst. Although Saturday’s game should be a higher-scoring contest, don’t expect Trimble to be among UNC’s top scorers. Take him to finish below his prop line.

Best Bet: OVER 144.5 Points

North Carolina stumbled after their upset of Duke, falling 75-66 to Miami on the road in the following game. Another Tobacco Road player – NC State – beat the Tar Heels the following Tuesday.

Outside of those two mistakes, UNC has won 10 games since January 21st. Duke’s lone loss during this calendar year is to the Tar Heels. Avenging that setback should lead to a lopsided score on Saturday.

But a 16-point margin of victory? Oddsmakers have UNC as a 15.5-point underdog. This series too unpredictable to suggest the Blue Devils will outscore UNC by that wide of a margin. Instead, take the over on the 144.5 combined points as another low-scoring affair is unlikely.