North Carolina and Virginia have had similar seasons and sit in first and third, respectively, in the ACC. While they've found success in different ways, this should be one of the most intriguing matchups in the conference this season. It is their first and only meeting. It is time to continue our men's college basketball odds series with a North Carolina-Virginia prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
North Carolina will finally be playing off some rest after beating Virginia Tech 96-81 on Sunday. The six-day break is the longest for the Tar Heels in two months. North Carolina has alternated wins and losses through its last six games, causing them to fall back into a tie with Duke for first in the conference.
Virginia is beginning to come back down to earth after an eight-game win streak caused fans to believe it may be another successful season for the Cavaliers. The same issues came to the forefront for Virginia when they lost 75-41 to Virginia Tech in their last game. Virginia may be known for falling apart in March and April, but they are always a contender in the ACC. Virginia has won seven of their last ten meetings with North Carolina.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: North Carolina-Virginia Odds
North Carolina: -2.5 (-104)
Moneyline: -130
Virginia: +2.5 (-118)
Moneyline: +108
Over: 130.5 (-110)
Under: 130.5 (-110)
How to Watch North Carolina vs. Virginia
Time: 4 PM ET/1 PM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why North Carolina Will Cover The Spread/Win
Virginia has lost two of three games after going on a seven-game winning streak to climb the ACC standings. Virginia's issue is that sometimes their offense goes cold, which is the only thing to blame over these three games. Virginia lost to Pitt 74-63 as 6.5-point favorites and beat Wake Forest 49-47.
The Cavaliers should have been inspired by such an abysmal offensive effort, still resulting in a win, but they decided to do even worse on Monday night. Virginia visited Virginia Tech and lost 75-41.
If you eliminate the 49-47 game with Wake Forest, Virginia's defense has allowed an average of 75 points over three of the last four games. North Carolina's 21st-ranked offense should be able to score close to the 75-point mark, and there's no reason to believe that Virginia can score enough to keep up.
Why Virginia Will Cover The Spread/Win
North Carolina has been playing some of their worst basketball, and it won't get any easier against a Virginia team that thrives at home. The Tar Heels were undefeated on the road until they traveled to Georgia Tech on January 30th and lost as nine-point favorites. Since that day, they've lost two of five games, dropping decisions to Clemson and Syracuse. The Tar Heels are 7-3 over their last ten games but just 4-5-1 against the spread and have failed to cover in four of their past six games.
Final North Carolina-Virginia Prediction & Pick
Virginia's low offensive output and giving up a lot of points at times over the past five games gives much concern. However, two of Virginia's last five games have resulted in them allowing 47 and 38 points at home. No matter what happens in the ACC, the John Paul Jones Arena will always be a challenging environment. North Carolina's play over the last while doesn't help the situation, as they lost to Georgia Tech and barely beat Miami, the two teams that Virginia held to 47 and 38 points.
Virginia on home court will continue to be nightmare fuel for opposing teams, and the Cavaliers will keep North Carolina close in this game. North Carolina hasn't won in Charlottesville since 2012.
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Final North Carolina-Virginia Prediction & Pick: Virginia +2.5 (-118)
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