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The final game of the regular season is here, and that means it’s North Carolina versus Duke. Saturday’s meeting tips at 6:30 inside the Smith Center, and it is without a doubt a must-win game for the Tar Heels.

Carolina enters at 19-11 overall and 11-8 in the ACC owning a No. 45 NET ranking. As it stands, UNC has just one Quad 1 victory, but that could change by the end of the weekend since Virginia dropped from 27 to 30 after beating Clemson, and hosts No. 309 Louisville this weekend. So, UNC’s win over the Wahoos will no longer be a Q1 win heading into the ACC Tournament.

So, the Tar Heels must defeat the Blue Devils and hope that both Duke and UVA win some games in the ACC Tournament. Michigan is No. 54, so the Heels need the Wolverines to get into the top 50 for that to be a Q1 win. Note that Ohio State moved up to 59 with its win over Maryland last night. The Buckeyes could get into the top 50 if they snag a couple more wins.

There is a scenario in which UNC has four Q1 wins by next weekend or zero. That makes the Duke game as much a must-win game as UNC has had in the series in a regular season game.

Duke is 22-8 and 13-6.

Here are our picks: