One of the most intense rivalries in all of sports is getting a postseason edition as the Duke and North Carolina women's basketball teams face each other in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen.
The No. 2-seed Blue Devils and No. 3-seed Tar Heels are slated to play the first game of the Sweet Sixteen round on Friday, March 28.
How to watch Duke vs. North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen
- Date: Friday, March 28
- Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, AL
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN
- Streaming: fuboTV
- Duke record 28-7
- North Carolina record 29-7
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook | Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER | Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change
Duke vs. North Carolina odds, spread, and total
- Moneyline: Duke -250, North Carolina +198
- Spread: Duke -5.5, North Carolina +5.5
- Total: 123.5
The Blue Devils are favored to win the postseason matchup against their rivals but just by a handful of buckets (5.5 points). The point total is projected to be in the mid-120s.
Neither Duke nor North Carolina has listed any of its players as out for the Sweet Sixteen matchup, meaning the full force of both squads should be available for the NCAA Tournament game.
Duke vs. North Carolina series history
The Tar Heels and the Blue Devils have a long-standing, heated rivalry, the two schools being just half an hour apart from one another. This year, the women's teams split their regular season matchups, each winning their home game.
Over the nearly 50 years that the two teams have faced each other, North Carolina has walked away with 56 wins and Duke has secured 54 wins. The most recent matchup was on Feb. 27, 2025, when the Blue Devils earned a 68-53 victory over the Tar Heels.
Duke vs. North Carolina women's basketball prediction
The Blue Devils are coming off of a low-scoring matchup in the Round of 32, where Duke struggled to shut down the No. 10-seed Oregon Ducks. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels put up a double-digit win over the No. 6-seed West Virginia Mountaineers.
With the heated rivalry taking place in the postseason, it could truly be anyone's game. However, I do think that North Carolina could pull off the upset victory.