Alabama Crimson Tide vs North Carolina Tar Heels NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/4/24

Looking to win big? The Crimson Tide and Tar Heels face off at 7:15 ET on ESPN. The Tar Heels are hosting the game at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC. The odds for this non-conference game currently have North Carolina as the -2 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 174.5 points.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE VS NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS BETTING PICK

The Pick: North Carolina Tar Heels -2

This game will be played at Dean E. Smith Center at 7:15 ET on Wednesday, December 4th.

WHY BET THE NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 80-66 in favor of the Tar Heels.
• Not only will North Carolina pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 174.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Is a Road Win Possible for the Crimson Tide?

Alabama Crimson Tide Recent Game/Games

Alabama fell to 4-3 on the season after a narrow 83-81 home loss to Oregon on Saturday. The Crimson Tide, who were -6.5 favorites, didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 164 just missed the over/under line of 165.5.

After trailing 39-39 at halftime, Alabama scored 42 points in the second half but allowed 44, leading to the loss.

Alabama put up 81 points in their last game, shooting 42.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 51.6%. They hit 12 threes at a 31.6% clip, while connecting on 57.7% of their two-point attempts. The Crimson Tide also made 75% of their free throws, going 15-for-20 from the line.

Keeshawn Barthelemy led the way with 22 points, hitting 4-of-5 from deep and shooting 63.6% overall. Nate Bittle added 19 points and 9 rebounds, though he missed all 5 of his three-point attempts. Alabama had 21 assists as a team, with Mark Sears and Aden Holloway each dishing out 5 assists, despite Sears struggling from beyond the arc, hitting just 1-of-11 threes.

Alabama’s defense gave up 83 points, allowing their opponent to shoot 42% from the field. They connected on 27 of 64 attempts overall.

From beyond the arc, Alabama’s opponent hit 12 of 38 threes, shooting 31%. They also went 15/20 from the free-throw line, making 75% of their foul shots.

Will North Carolina Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

North Carolina’s season record dropped to 4-3 after a 94-91 home loss to Michigan State on Wednesday. The Tar Heels were -5.5 favorites but failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 185 exceeded the O/U line of 157.5.

UNC trailed 43-34 at halftime but rallied in the 2nd half, outscoring the Spartans 48-39. Despite the strong finish, they couldn’t complete the comeback.

North Carolina’s offense was firing on all cylinders, scoring 91 points with a 50% field goal percentage and an effective field goal percentage of 59.4%. They connected on 47.8% of their three-point attempts, going 11-for-23 from deep, and hit 76.2% from the free-throw line. The Tar Heels dished out 17 assists, with Tre Holloman and RJ Davis each contributing 7.

Drake Powell was efficient, shooting 77.8% overall and 66.7% from three, finishing with 18 points. Holloman added 19 points and 7 assists, hitting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Ian Jackson and Coen Carr both contributed 14 points, with Carr also grabbing 7 rebounds.

North Carolina’s defense struggled, giving up 94 points on 50% shooting from the field. The Tar Heels allowed 32 made field goals on 64 attempts.

From beyond the arc, they gave up 11 threes on 23 attempts, a 47% shooting performance. They also sent the opposing team to the line 21 times, where they converted 16 free throws.