The North Carolina Tar Heels and Virginia Cavaliers have a big ACC clash on ESPN tonight. After an easy winner on Georgia to wrap up college football, we look to turn a profitable college football season into winners on the hardwood. We have our North Carolina vs. Virginia predictions and best bets at the University of Virginia.
Virginia is looking to improve on their No. 13 ranking against a familiar foe on Tuesday night. The Cavaliers are coming off a 73-66 win at home over the Syracuse Orange three days ago. It was a nice response from Virginia following a 68-65 loss at Pitt on January 3.
"๐๐'๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ." – Coach TB
๐ถโ๏ธ๐ท#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/d3ISiYYmXN
— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) January 9, 2023
via@UVAMensHoops
Does Virginia look like a national title contender this season? The 2019 NCAA Tournament winners are going to need to peak at the right time. On the surface, Virginia does not look like a clear No. 1 seed.
They have not been playing their best basketball since mid-December. The 11-3 Cavaliers have lost three of their losses in the last six games. Just as they started to get into the most difficult part of their schedule, Virginia began to falter.
The Tar Heels are another good challenge for the Cavaliers. They are heating up after a 88-79 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In their latest victory, North Carolina pulled away from Notre Dame for an 81-64 win.
Head below for our best Notre Carolina vs. Virginia best bets and betting pick on January 10, 2022.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Virginia Cavaliers Live Betting Odds:
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Tar Heels | +4.5 (-110) | +160 | Over 133 (-110) |
| Virginia Cavaliers | -4.5 (-110) | -185 | Under 133 (-110) |
| Team Data | North Carolina Tar Heels | Virginia Cavaliers |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 11-5 | 11-3 |
| ATS Record | 5-10-1 | 4-10-0 |
| Away/Home Record | 0-3 | 7-1 |
| ATS Away/Home | 0-3-0 | 1-7-0 |
| Points Per Game | 81.4 | 70.0 |
| Points Against Per Game | 74.3 | 59.6 |
| Field Goal % | 46.2 | 45.8 |
| Three Point % | 31.9 | 38.0 |
North Carolina vs. Virginia Predictions
Virginia was able to find the perfect balance of offense and defense in 2019. It had been so long since Virginia had an offense to pair with their physical defense. Virginia always had the best defense in college basketball, but did not have the shooters to win down the stretch.
We are back to talking about Virginia as a defensive-only team in 2023. The Cavaliers have to get back to striking the right balance with an offense that doesnโt bog down in the final minutes. This is not an elite Virginia defense that weโve come to know, either.
Virginia is 7-1 at home this season, but has been involved in some close games. They have covered the spread in only one of eight attempts at home this season. The Cavs have lost money, with an ATS rate of 4-10-0.
Somebody Has To Cover Tonight
Neither team has been a covering machine this season. Virginia is just 4-10-0 against the spread. Theyโve failed to cover in nine of their previous ten attempts.
North Carolina has covered in four of their previous seven outings. However, the Tar Heels are just 5-10-1 against the spread on the season. The Tar Heels and Cavaliers have not been reliable to bettors.
Despite not covering at the highest clip, North Carolina has been showing a lot of fight as of late. The Tar Heels have won six of their previous seven attempts, with their only loss during that stretch at Pitt on December 30.
Tar Heels Heating Up
North Carolina is shooting 47.3% from the field with 82.4 points per game in their previous five outings. The Cavaliers are going to play tight defense, but they should have enough to put points on the board.
๐ฅ: Win Column ๐ Notre Dame pic.twitter.com/w1Yq0yPht4
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) January 9, 2023
via@UNC_Basketball
The Tar Heels are up to 23rd in scoring in the country. Virginia has a good defense, but they are not on the same elite level they used to be in past seasons. The Cavaliers have conceded a 40.4% field goal percentage for 57th in the NCAA.
Their perimeter defense has seen a big regression. Theyโve allowed a three-point percentage of 34.8% for 259th in the nation. That is very unlike the Virginia squads of old. Expect the Tar Heels to have some open looks.
North Carolina vs. Virginia Betting Pick:
The Tar Heelsโ defense will enable Virginia to score in this one. They do not have the shooters to run away from most teams in the nation, though. As soon as the Cavaliers started seeing a tougher schedule, it was apparent they are going to have a difficult time in the ACC this season.
In a close game like this, the final score might come down to free throws. North Carolina is shooting 73.5% for 97th from the charity stripe, while the Cavaliers are 183rd with a free throw percentage of 70.7%.
Can North Carolina win this game? Maybe, but it should be a close contest. Expect a game that goes down to the wire. The 4.5 points are likely going to be nice to have at the University of Virginia tonight.
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