Carolina at Duke, Wednesday at 9 pm. I don't have to tell you how big this game is. Carolina is currently one game ahead of Duke and Wake Forest for first place in the ACC, and definitely needs to win to hold on to the #1 seed. If they can keep winning games they control their destiny.

I am biased, certainly, but have tried to preview this game with an open mind. The teams appear to have very different strategies. While the Blue Devils are a more guard-oriented team, the Heels balance the floor with Williams and May countering Jackie and Rashad, with Ray running the show.

Let's look at the individual matchups:

Ewing vs. Felton - PUSH - Ewing dribble-drives more often, but because he has to. Felton is a better deliverer, and can knock down the three.

Redick vs. Manuel - Redick wins, but not if Jackie goes into lockdown mode. JJ has had some nice nights lately, but if he goes off for 30, Duke suffers in other areas.

Dockery vs. McCants - Uhhhhhhh. McCants?

Melchionni vs. Jawad - Melch can hit the open three. Jawad can do everything, and will beat him up down low.

Shelden vs. Sean May - PUSH - Shelden has better numbers only because he plays more minutes. Sean is playing harder and smarter this year.

Bench - advantage Tar Heels. Duke has no one to combat Marvin and David. Don't tell me Shavlik Randolph and.....Patrick Johnson?

So the Heels take that matchup 3-1-2. And that's how I think the game will go. Let's face it: you have to beat Duke by 12 to beat them by two in their own building.

Shelden gets in foul trouble and Marvin has another breakout game, and quite possibly brings Cameron down with another rim-shatterer. Heels wear them out and win by 9.

Go Heels.