If North Carolina (18-7, 8-4) beats #5 Duke (21-5, 10-3) tonight at 9:00 pm EST on ESPN, they'll have one less loss overall and the same number of conference losses. Also considering the Tar Heels have more impressive non-conference wins (Louisville, at Michigan State, Kentucky) than Duke (Michigan, UCLA), they could potentially be a higher ranked team (and actually be ranked) this Monday, when the next AP poll is released and Duke will have also played #1 Syracuse (25-1, 12-1), bearers of their season's first loss last night to Boston College (7-19, 3-10). North Carolina hosts Wake Forest (14-12, 4-9) on Saturday. For good measure, they lucked out and only play Syracuse once this year (a 57-45 loss on Jan. 11).

"I think you can get ahead of yourself with the buildup that people will give for the Thursday night game and the Saturday game," Krzyzewski told ESPN. "... You can have a tendency of not giving each game the value of emotion, the mental, physical and emotional preparation that's needed. That's why were' trying to look at it in that way."

Duke wasn't supposed to play at North Carolina and then host Syracuse in a span of two days, but their first meeting with the Tar Heels this year was postponed on Feb. 12 because of the weather. Though the Tar Heels were hot then, Duke likely would have preferred to play them at that time then now, when they're even hotter (having tacked on two more wins post-postponement for a seven game win streak).

For their part, Duke has also added two more wins and has won nine of their last ten (the disruptor a two-point loss to Syracuse on Feb. 1).

Thus, setting one of the sports world's greatest rivalries back a few games was a good move for anticipation-fueled fans. Vegas currently has the spread set at Duke, -2. As a Duke guy, I can get behind that. Duke for the cover.

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Record: 18-25

Butler @ Creighton: L (picked Butler, +10.5)

UConn @ Memphis: L (picked Memphis, -7.5)

Depaul @ Villanova: W (picked Villanova, -17.5)

Pittsburg @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -5.5)

Creighton @ Villanova: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Baylor @ Kansas: W (picked Baylor, + 10.5)

Indiana @ Michigan State: L (picked Michigan State, -12)

Iowa @ Michigan: L (picked Iowa, + 1.5)

Colorado @ Arizona: W (picked Colorado, + 14.5)

Illinois @ Ohio State: W (picked Illinois, + 11)

Michigan @ Michigan State: W (picked Michigan, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Marquette: W (picked Villanova, -3)

Utah @ Arizona: W (picked Utah, + 15)

Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State: W (picked Oklahoma, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Georgetown: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Michigan State @ Iowa: W (picked Michigan State, + 5)

St. John's @ Creighton: W (picked St. John's, + 12)

Iowa State @ Kansas: L (picked Iowa State, + 8.5)

Syracuse @ Wake Forest: L (picked Syracuse, -10)

Purdue @ Michigan: L (picked Michigan, -12)

Florida @ Mississippi State: W (picked Miss. State, + 15)

Duke @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -3)

Xavier @ Villanova: L (picked Xavier, + 10)

Nebraska @ Michigan: L (picked Nebraska, + 13)

Boston College @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -13)

Oregon @ Arizona: L (picked Arizona, -11)

Oklahamo State @ Texas Tech: W (picked Texas Tech, + 6.5)

West Virginia @ Kansas: L (picked WVU, + 14)

Maryland @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -11)

Iowa State @ West Virginia: L (picked Iowa State, - 1.5)

Michigan @ Ohio State: L (picked Ohio State, -3.5)

Florida @ Tennessee: W (picked Florida, - 1.5)

Syracuse @ Pittsburg: W (picked Syracuse, + 2.5 -- absurd line)

Villanova @ Depaul: W (picked Villanova, -14)

Creighton @ Butler: L (picked Creighton, -8.5)

West Virginia @ Texas: W (picked Texas, -6)

Florida @ Kentucky: L (picked Kentucy, -2)

VCU @ Saint Louis: W (picked VCU, +4.5)

Villanova @ Creighton: L (picked Villanova, -3.5)

Texas @ Iowa State: L (picked Texas, +6)

Villanova @ Providence: L (picked Villanova, -4.5)

Wichita State @ Loyola: L (picked Loyola, + 13.5)

Creighton @ Marquette: W (picked Creighton, -3)