Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Paolo Banchero and Duke are looking to get by their arch-rival and punch a ticket to Monday's title game.
The Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels meet in one of the most anticipated Final Four games ever, when the storied Tobacco Road rivals face off in the national semifinals on Saturday night at the Caesars Super Dome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The game (8:49 p.m. ET) will be televised on TBS (the national championship will also be on TBS). But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch Duke vs UNC live online for free:
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DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” TBS is included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch Duke vs UNC live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
You can also watch the game live on the March Madness app or on the NCAA website. You’ll need to sign in to a cable or streaming service provider to watch this way, but you can do that with your DirecTV Stream credentials.
Sling TV
TBS is included in Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” bundle, which comes with a free three-day trial:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Duke vs UNC live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch the game live on the March Madness app or on the NCAA website. You’ll need to sign in to a cable or streaming service provider to watch this way, but you can do that with your Sling credentials.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of TBS and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes both ESPN+ and Disney+ as part of their bundle:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Duke vs UNC live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch the game live on the March Madness app or on the NCAA website. You’ll need to sign in to a cable or streaming service provider to watch this way, but you can do that with your Hulu credentials.
Duke vs UNC Final Four Preview
All eyes will be fixated on the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans Saturday night when arch-rivals Duke and North Carolina meet with a spot in the national championship game up for grabs.
The Blue Devils and Tar Heels will be meeting for the 258th chapter in their storied Tobacco Road rivalry, but stunningly Saturday will mark the first time the ACC foes face off in the NCAA Tournament. The two schools, which are separated by only 11 miles, have a combined 248 NCAA Tournament wins and 11 national titles.
Saturday’s contest will also be the final time Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski takes on UNC. The 75-year-old Hall of Fame coach, who is retiring at the conclusion of this season, owns a 50-47 record against the Tar Heels over the course of his storied career.
The two teams split their regular-season series this year, with each winning on the road. Duke won in Chapel Hill on Feb. 5, 87-67, and UNC paid them back by spoiling Coach K’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Mar. 5 with a 94-81 victory.
Here’s a look at the breakdown for each team as they head into Saturday night’s marquee matchup:
No. 2 Duke Blue Devils (32-6)
Duke is just two wins away from authoring a storybook ending for their legendary head coach. Krzyzewski, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I, has led the Blue Devils to five national titles and a record 13 Final Four appearances in an illustrious 42-year career in Durham.
The ACC regular-season champions advanced to their 17th Final Four in program history with NCAA Tournament wins over Cal State Fullerton (78-61), Michigan State (85-76), Texas Tech (78-73), and Arkansas (78-69).
The likely NBA lottery pick Paolo Banchero leads the way for the Blue Devils with 17.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. The ACC Freshman of the Year and second-team consensus All-American was named the West Regional’s Most Outstanding Player for his dominant play in the first four tournament games.
“It’s been a great season,” said Banchero at a Final Four press conference on Friday. “From the very first meeting we had, getting to New Orleans was the goal. So the fact that we got here, it’s just a big testament to the work we’ve put in.”
Sophomore center Mark Williams has been a force down low for the Blue Devils this season and has been a key contributor in their run to New Orleans. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 11.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and has recorded 110 blocks coming into the weekend.
Duke has the top squad in the nation when it comes to offensive efficiency, according to KenPom. The Blue Devils will be looking to cut down the nets for the first time since 2015.
No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels (28-9)
North Carolina is making its record 21st Final Four appearance this weekend in New Orleans. The Tar Heels have found their mojo down the stretch, winning 16 of the last 19 games, including NCAA Tournament victories over Marquette (95-63), defending national champion Baylor (93-86, OT), UCLA (73-66), and Saint Peter’s (69-49).
UNC features a balanced offensive attack, with four players averaging double-digit points per game. Junior forward Armando Bacot leads the team at 16.5 ppg, followed by sophomore guard Caleb Love (15.7 ppg), graduate student forward Brady Manek (15.2 ppg), and sophomore RJ Davis (13.4 ppg).
The 6-foot-10 Bacot is an immovable object in the paint, leading the Tar Heels in scoring and rebounding (16.5 ppg, 12.8 rpg). The junior’s 29 double-doubles have tied Tim Duncan’s all-time ACC record set in 1997.
First-year head coach Hubert Davis had his squad believing in October that they would experience this day in New Orleans this weekend.
“The first day of practice I put a picture of the Superdome in their locker,” said Davis, who went to the Final Four as a player with UNC in the early ’90s. “And I talked about it at midcourt at our first official practice. I said there’s going to be a lot of hard work. We’ll have to prepare and play really well. But this is our expectation of this team. And I just really wanted them to see where they were going.
“I told them to tell their parents: book their hotels and travel arrangements, that we would be in New Orleans in April. And the reason being is I really felt like this team had a chance to be able to do that. So I felt that way from the beginning.”