What a game we have in store when the No. 1 team in college basketball in the Kansas Jayhawks welcomes the North Carolina Tar Heels to town.
This is the first meeting between these two schools since the National Championship game in 2022 that featured a furious comeback by the Jayhawks. Kansas may be the more talented side but they are certainly dealing with less continuity than their opponent. That said, my North Carolina vs. Kansas predictions expect both teams' offenses to be free-flowing.
Read on for my free college basketball picks for Friday, November 8.
North Carolina vs Kansas prediction
My best bet
Over 160.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
The North Carolina Tar Heels offense has multiple advantages on the perimeter and elsewhere over the Kansas Jayhawks defense, which will help drive the Over tonight.
The story throughout Hunter Dickinson’s college career is teams attacking the slow-footed big man in switches and pick and rolls. He finished in the Bottom 5% of college basketball in such situations a season ago, and if he was better at these things, he would no longer be in college.
This is going to result in one of two things: either Kansas is going to live with Dickinson in switches and one of the best scorers in basketball in RJ Davis is going to feast on him, or Kansas is going to put him in drop coverage (the more likely scenario) and force Davis along with Elliot Cadeau to beat them with jumpshots. And they most likely will.
Either way, this is conducive to points being scored and I expect the Tar Heels to have success. Davis will likely be slowed around the perimeter with one of the best defenders there in the sport in DeJuan Harris. However, I have questions about the rest of the perimeter defenders for Kansas, and I suspect North Carolina can exploit them there as well.
It’s worth pointing out that Dickinson may not be fully healthy, but even a limited Dickinson should be able to exploit what’s a big issue for North Carolina. With the departure of Armando Bacot, UNC will have no true center or real rim protection. It will be playing this game with two forwards who lack the size to contend with the best scoring big in the sport.
Against a much smaller Elon team, North Carolina was basically even on the backboard. I shudder at what that’s going to mean for second-chance points here.
North Carolina will want to push the pace and create opportunities in transition, and Kansas will be happy to play that way. But even when neither team is able to do that, there are still a variety of ways for each team to score in the half-court. Give me the Over.
North Carolina vs Kansas same-game parlay
Over 160.5
Hunter Dickinson Over 9.5 rebounds
Elliot Cadeau Over 1.5 made threes
I'm pairing my best bet with two plays that follow my logic above.
Dickinson should feast on the backboards against a team that doesn’t have much size to stop him. This is a modest number for him to cover and one that he went over about 70% of the time a season ago. A potential minutes limit is a bit of a concern but the advantage is hard to deny.
Elliot Cadeau made three treys in the opener against Elon on four shot attempts, which seemingly validated his claims about how much work he put into his shot this offseason. With Harris likely getting the responsibility of defending Davis, the rest of the floor is open.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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North Carolina vs Kansas odds
North Carolina vs Kansas live odds
North Carolina vs Kansas opening odds
- Spread: North Carolina +8 | Kansas -8
- Moneyline: North Carolina +275 | Kansas -310
- Over/Under: Over 154.5 | Under 154.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
North Carolina vs Kansas betting trend to know
Kansas has been dominant in this series recently with four straight wins since 2008, including one in the national championship game in 2022. Find more college basketball betting trends for North Carolina vs. Kansas.
How to watch North Carolina vs Kansas
| Location: | Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS |
| Date: | Friday, 11-8-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN2 |
North Carolina vs Kansas key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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