The Final Challenge

For the past 23 years, the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge has provided some of the most prolific matchups of the college basketball season, as the two powerhouse conferences go head-to-head all across the country 😤

• The ACC entered this year's challenge with a 12-8-3 edge in the event, with its teams owning a 144-121 record over their Big Ten opponents. However, the Big Ten has won three straight, including an 8-6 advantage last season

• Unfortunately, the record book will soon be closed. With the ACC set to begin a new series with the SEC starting next season, this year's challenge will be the last 😢

On the plus side, the finale has all the makings of a memorable one. Featuring nine teams ranked in the latest AP Poll, a handful of whom qualify as legit title contenders, there's plenty of marquee matchups, and the action has already gotten underway 😎

• The ACC started its quest for one last series' victory with a flawless 2-0 record on Monday's opening night, as Virginia Tech took down Minnesota and Pittsburgh dominated Northwestern

• The fun continued last night with six more matchups, split 3-3 between the two conferences. The evening was capped off in style, with #3 Virginia erasing a double-digit halftime deficit against Michigan in a thriller that came down to the final seconds

We've already gotten plenty of highlight moments from this year's challenge, and the best could be yet to come. Tonight's six-game slate is absolutely loaded, highlighted by a pair of ranked matchups you won't want to miss ⬇️

Blue Against Red

Duke. UNC. Indiana. Ohio State. These four college basketball programs regularly find themselves among the nation's best, and this year is no different. Each has a shot a statement win tonight - here's what you need to know 👇

📍 #25 Ohio State @ #17 Duke Betting Preview (subject to change)

• Spread: Duke -5.5

• Moneyline: Duke -200 (bet $200, win $100), Ohio State +165 (bet $100, win $165)

• Over/Under: 138.5

The Blue Devils got an early taste of Big Ten hospitality at the hands of Purdue on Sunday, and it wasn't pretty for Jon Scheyer's crew. The 56-75 defeat was the second of the season for Duke, but with both losses coming against teams currently ranked in the Top-10 (Kansas was the other), there's no reason to panic in Durham just yet. However, there have been some cold starts worth monitoring

• Highly-touted freshmen Dereck Lively and Dariq Whitehead, the top two recruits in the country according to some rankings, have struggled to make an impact so far, with both playing less than 18 MPG

• While third-year guard Jeremy Roach is averaging a solid 12.9 PPG, he's doing so at the worst shooting clip of his career, and he hasn't taken the leap that was expected as a preseason First Team All-ACC selection

Others have risen to the occasion (like freshman stud Kyle Filipowski), and the Blue Devils have taken care of inferior competition, but they've yet to truly impress. That could change with a win over the always-tough Buckeyes tonight 👀

• Unranked to begin the year, OSU is starting to get national respect thanks to big wins over Cincinnati and #21 Texas Tech. Fifth-year senior Justice Sueing absolutely stuffed the stat sheet in upset win over the Red Raiders ⬇️

📍 #18 UNC @ #10 Indiana Betting Preview

• Spread: Indiana -6.5

• Moneyline: Indiana -285, UNC +230

• Over/Under: 145.5

After returning several key players who played in last year's national title game, the Tar Heels entered the year with sky-high (roof-high?) expectations as the country's top ranked team. But like their rivals up Tobacco Road, they've yet to truly find their rhythm in the early going

• Last week brought their first two losses of the season for UNC, as they came up just short against Iowa State and Alabama. ICYMI, the loss to Bama was especially excruciating 😬

Another tough test awaits tonight in the form of the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers, and the highly-anticipated showdown features one of the best one-on-one matchups you'll see all year

• Big men Armando Bacot (UNC) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) were both named preseason First Team All-Americans, and it wouldn't shock me if either claimed college basketball's top individual honor this season

The two should be trading blows all night long, and there's a good chance this game could come down to which one has the more dominant performance 💪

For My Parlay Gurus

I'm an ACC guy myself, so you know I gotta rock with the blue bloods tonight. I like the Blue Devils to pull away from the Buckeyes at Cameron, while the Tar Heels battle it out in another nail-biter. Check it out 👇

• Duke -5.5 vs. Ohio State: -114

• UNC +6.5 @ Indiana: -108

$100 on this bet would win you $262 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

Want more betting content from Overtime? Check out Even The Odds on Twitter 🤑Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Join thousands of other informed subscribers

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Many will enter, only some will win. Giveaway ends 12 hours after the completion of the final game references within the giveaway. The winner will be notified via the email address used to enter. Restrictions apply. See the General Conditions and Releases sections of Overtime's Terms of Use at https://overtime.tv/terms for additional giveaway terms©2022 Overtime Sports, Inc. All rights reserved.