ACC Basketball in North Carolina: Saturday’s Odds, Spreads, and Totals
The season of lopsided matchups is coming to an end, at least in the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina and Duke will each appear in national showcases this Saturday, when…
AUSTIN, TEXAS – DECEMBER 4: Jordan Lee #7 of the Texas Longhorns looks to shoot while defended by Nyla Brooks #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half at Moody Center on December 4, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Scott Wachter/Getty Images)
The season of lopsided matchups is coming to an end, at least in the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina and Duke will each appear in national showcases this Saturday, when the Tar Heels meet the Ohio State Buckeyes in the CBS Sports Classic from Atlanta, GA, while the Blue Devils visit Madison Square Garden to play the No. 19 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders in the SentinelOne Classic.
UNC's afternoon tip off with Ohio State comes against a Buckeyes team that's sitting in 11th place in the Big Ten Standings. But according to early bracketology for March Madness, Columbus has a good chance to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. Duke, meanwhile, will be trying to protect a perfect win-loss record against Texas Tech, which has defeated LSU, Wake Forest, and Wyoming.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs Ohio State Buckeyes
North Carolina flies into Saturday on a four-game winning streak, but the critical angle is that the 10-1 Tar Heels have beaten schools like Kansas, Kentucky, and Georgetown rather than the overmatched foes on many teams' fall schedules. UNC will try to keep it up against 8-2 Ohio State at 3 p.m. EST this Saturday.
The Buckeyes are only 2-2 since their schedule turned tougher on Thanksgiving weekend. That won't stop Ohio State from garnering hype as a Big Ten dark horse after last Saturday's 89-88 double-overtime win over West Virginia. OSU's leading scorer Bruce Thornton tallied 23 points as the Buckeyes overcame dreadful outside shooting with defensive rebounds, clutch free throws, and 48 points in the paint.
The Tar Heels' own frontcourt led the way in Tuesday's 77-58 victory over ETSU, the junior center Henri Veesaar totaling 26 points and eight rebounds. Bookmakers won't let Saturday's point-total forecast sink in spite of the Atlanta tipoff's likely lack of treys. There could be many foul shots taken in a physical battle.
Duke Blue Devils vs Texas Tech Red Raiders
Madison Square Garden's hotel theater is hosting Jerry Seinfeld on the night of the Duke-TTU game. That's an ironic opening act for 11-0 Duke, since the Blue Devils' past at MSG is no laughing matter for opponents. No. 3 ranked Duke will vie for its tenth win in as many dates at the New York venue when the Blue Devils meet the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Saturday's second neutral-site showcase at 8 p.m. EST.
Elle Chavis of The Chronicle recaps the active nine-game winning streak in midtown Manhattan, calling MSG a "second home" for the Duke Blue Devils. "Duke played its first-ever NCAA tournament game (on its) first trip to the original Madison Square Garden in 1955 … The last time the Blue Devils lost in the arena was back in 2018." Cameron Boozer's stats show that the freshman forward could live up to generations of Blue Devils at MSG, given his 23.3 PPG after a double-double versus Lipscomb.
The No. 19 Red Raiders arrive at 8-3 after defeating Northern Colorado 101-90 on Tuesday. Texas Tech may still be smarting, however, from its previous 93-86 loss to Arkansas in which 30 points from junior JT Toppin were to no avail. Point-total speculators will take note of TTU's high tempo and porous defense.
