Duke vs. UNC: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

Jan 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski (middle) talks to the Blue Devils during a time-out against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

TV Schedule: Saturday, February 6, 6:00 PM ET. ESPN

Arena: Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina

The greatest rivalry in college basketball is renewed on Saturday as the University of North Carolina Tarheels head to Durham to play the rival Duke Blue Devils. The matchup this year is not as hyped up as years’ past and it is safe to say the main reason is due to the struggling play by both teams.

Neither program is ranked in the top 25 and this will be the first meeting between these two schools as unranked opponents in over 50 years. Take a second to re-read that last sentence. UNC and Duke are the personifications of successful basketball programs that have won the NCAA Division I Championship six and five times respectively. Describing this season as a disappointment for either program would be an understatement.

Now even though both teams are unranked, Saturday’s matchup is guaranteed to be a must-watch. I would argue it could be more exciting to watch than when both teams are great. As neither team appears to have a chance of winning the NCAA Championship nor the ACC Championship, this game could be the most important game of the season for these players.

UNC is a more balanced team this year and has a deeper bench, whereas Duke relies on Jalen Johnson and Matthew Hurt to give them 30+ combined points per game. The issue this weekend for UNC though, is that they do not have a star or a go-to player to get them a bucket if the game is close, which it undoubtedly will be. Only three Tarheels average double-digit scoring: Caleb Love, Garrison Brooks, and Armando Bacot and Love leads the ACC in turnovers.

Next. Latest top-25 power rankings. dark

Because of this, I expect Duke to beat UNC in a nailbiter with Hurt or Johnson scoring a key late-game basket to seal the victory. This will extend Duke’s recent winning streak against UNC to 4.

Prediction: Duke 81, UNC 77

Pro tip: In the last two games I wrote about, I hit the winner’s score dead on. Don’t bet with my predictions, but just saying Duke 81 is a lock.

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