Duke vs North Carolina prediction, pick, odds March Madness Sweet 16

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How Alabama, Duke, and Michigan State can go deep in March Madness

USA TODAY Network reporters break down the top key for Alabama, Duke, Michigan State and more to make a deep March Madness run.

Duke women’s basketball and North Carolina play Friday (1:30 p.m. CT, ESPN) in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA women’s tournament.

The No. 2 seeded Blue Devils (28-7) routed No. 15 seed Lehigh, 86-25, in the opening round of the tournament, Duke’s largest margin of victory this season. The Blue Devils then battled to take down No. 10 Oregon in the second round behind 20 points and five treys from Ashlon Jackson. Duke was without leading scorer and ACC Rookie of the Year Toby Fournier against the Ducks. Duke head coach Kara Lawson said Fournier “wasn’t feeling well,” and that doctors did not clear her to play.

North Carolina (29-7) took down No. 14 Oregon State, 70-49, in the opening round behind 19 points from Lexi Donarski. The Tar Heels then defeated No. 6 West Virginia, 58-47, on Monday night, punching their ticket to the Sweet 16.

Duke and North Carolina will tip things off in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday at Legacy Arena. No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 4 seed Maryland are set to play after at 4 p.m. CT. The two winners will play Sunday for a trip to the Final Four.

The two in-state rivals split their regular season series. North Carolina won in overtime, 53-46, in the teams’ first meeting this season on Jan. 9 in Chapel Hill. The Blue Devils then evened the series with a 68-53 victory in Durham on Feb. 27.

Friday will mark the first meeting between the two programs in the NCAA tournament. Duke is 8-6 over North Carolina in the postseason, but all 14 of those meetings came in the ACC tournament. Overall, North Carolina leads the all-time series against Duke, 56-54.

Here are some players to watch, odds and a score prediction for Sweet 16 matchup between the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels.

WHERE TO STAY: Where to stay for Birmingham Regional in NCAA women’s basketball tournament:…

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Publish date : 2025-03-25 15:25:00

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