North Carolina looks to keep their lead in the ACC as they face Syracuse. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a North Carolina-Syracuse prediction, pick, and how to watch.

North Carolina comes into the game sitting at 19-5 on the year and is 11-2 in conference play, good for first in the conference. They had early non-conference losses to Villanova, UConn, and Kentucky, but also wins over Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Arkansas. In conference play, they have lost two of their last four. First, it was a one-point loss to Georgia Tech on the road, before beating Duke. Then they lost by four to Clemson before beating Miami last time out in a tight game.

Meanwhile, Syracuse is 15-9 on the year, and 6-7 in conference play. They have also lost three of their last four games. Syracuse fell on the road in back-to-back games against Boston College and Wake Forest, before beating Louisville by two. They then lost last time out to Clemson by nine. This is the second time this year these two squads have faced off. In the first match-up in Chapel Hill North Carolina was dominant. They controlled the game from start to finish and would win 103-67.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: North Carolina-Syracuse Odds

North Carolina: -7.5 (-110)

Syracuse: +7.5 (-110)

Over: 156.5 (-106)

Under: 156.5 (-114)

How to Watch North Carolina vs. Syracuse 

Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT

TV: ESPN

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why North Carolina Will Cover The Spread/Win

North Carolina is eighth according to KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are sitting 28th on the offensive side of things while sixth and eighth on the defensive side of things. They have done all of this while facing the 15th hardest schedule in the nation according to KenPom. North Carolina is 18th in the nation in points per game. They are led by RJ Davis. While Davis shoots just 43.2 percent from the field, he is a solid three-point shooter, hitting 41.4 percent of his threes. That has led to him scoring 21.5 points per game this year to lead the team. He also helps the offense with his 3.5 assists this year.

Armando Bacot is also scoring well. He comes into the game with 14.2 points per game, and he is shooting 55.0  percent from the field this year. Joining him in scoring well is Harrison Ingram. He comes in with 12.5 points per game this year.

The rebounding game is great for North Carolina. They are fifth in the nation in rebounds per game this year, while sitting 62nd in the nation in offensive rebounding rate, and sixth in defensive rebounding rate. Bacot and Ingram lead the way here too. Bacot comes in with 10.3 rebounds per game this year, while Ingram comes in with 8.7 rebounds per game this year. Meanwhile, both of them have over two offensive rebounds per game this year.

On defense, North Carolina ranks  118th in the nation in points against this year but sits 19th in opponent effective field goal percentage this year. Bacot is a disruptive force here too, coming in with 1.7 blocks per game this year. Meanwhile, both Ingram and Davis have 1.3 or more steals per game.

Why Syracuse Will Cover The Spread/Win

Syracuse comes in sitting 94th in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They are 148th in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting 53rd in adjusted defensive efficiency this year. Syracuse sits 136th in the nation in points per game this year, while being one of the worst in the nation in the first half. They are 239th in the nation in first-half points, but sit 43rd in second-half points this year. Judah Mintz leads the way this year. He comes in with 18.2 points per game this year while shooting 42.8 percent from three this year. He also is moving the ball well. Mintz comes in with 4.6 assists per game this year, leading the team. Meanwhile, Syracuse has two other players with over ten points per game. JJ Starlins is second on the team this year with 13.2 points per game, while Chris Bell has 11.4 points per game on the season.

In the rebounding game, Syracuse sits 224th in the nation. Syracuse is outside the Top 300 in both offensive and defensive rebounding rates this year. The leader of the team is Maliq Brown. He comes in with 6.8 rebounds per game this year, while he is also scoring 9.2 points per game. Second on the team is Quaddir Copeland, who comes into the game with 5.0 rebounds per game on the year.

On defense, Syracuse is 254th in the nation in points against per game this year. Still, they are ninth in the nation in steals per game this year. Maliq Brown leads the team with 2.2 steals per game on the year, while Judah Mintz comes in with 2.1 steals per game. Brown also has a block per game this year. Further, Quadir Copeland has 1.5 steals per game this year.

Final North Carolina-Syracuse Prediction & Pick

North Carolina dominated Syracuse the last time these two teams played. They have a vastly superior squad and a major part of that is the rebounding game. Syracuse is one of the worst rebounding teams in the nation, while North Carolina has two players with over eight rebounds per game. Further, both of them have over two offensive rebounds per game, and with the poor Syracuse defense, that should equate to four extra possessions of scoring. Take North Carolina to win big in this one.

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Final North Carolina-Syracuse Prediction & Pick: North Carolina -7.5 (-110)