This past weekend’s game between UNC and Wake Forest was one of the more frustrating games this season, and that is saying a lot. They were able to move the ball against one of the better defenses in the ACC,
but somehow they still weren’t able to score a single touchdown. The defense did their best to keep things close, but allowing a touchdown each quarter only helps you win if your offense has some juice. There’s a lot of blame to go around for this one, but ultimately it is what it is and life goes on.
What life moves onto is the Tar Heels facing off against Duke this Saturday in Kenan Stadium. It will be the first time that Bill Belichick has had to deal with that team in Durham, which should be noteworthy for a guy who has ties to the program via his father. There are two specific fires that you are forged in when you are a Tar Heel in any capacity: you hate Duke, and you hate NC State, although the reason to hate both teams are different. The Carolina/Duke rivalry in football may not be what it is in basketball, but it is still an important one for fans, players, and the university.
This is why it’s disheartening to see that Vegas has Duke as the 6.5-point favorites per FanDuel Sportsbook. It’s a pretty dark timeline considering the fact that UNC will have home field advantage. The other interesting thing is that the over/under is set at 51.5, so it seems like the expectation is that this game will at least have more scoring than this past Saturday did.
Looking closer at Duke, the only thing that feels certain is that they have the better chance of winning this game. They have had some head-scratching losses, but none of them seem as silly as UNC’s losses with the exception of their loss to Tulane. Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah has been playing well for them, and running back Nate Sheppard is creeping up on 1,000 rushing yards for the season assuming he can cut loose in these final two games. Their defense is where things haven’t looked the best lately — they’ve allowed at least 34 points in the last three games. UNC has an opportunity to take advantage of a questionable situation, but whether or not they will is anybody’s guess.
What do you think of this week’s betting odds? Do you think UNC has a chance to pull off the “upset?” Let us know in the comments below.
