North Carolina Tar Heels vs Kansas Jayhawks NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/8/24

The Tar Heels and Jayhawks are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN2. The Jayhawks will host the game at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 158.5 points, and Kansas is favored by -7.5 at home against North Carolina.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS VS KANSAS JAYHAWKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: North Carolina Tar Heels +7.5

This game will be played at Allen Fieldhouse at 7:00 ET on Friday, November 8th.

WHY BET THE NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-71 in favor of the Jayhawks.
• Even though we have Kansas winning straight-up, we like North Carolina at +7.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 158.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Can North Carolina Lock in a Road Win?

North Carolina Tar Heels Recent Game/Games

North Carolina opened their season with a 90-76 home win over Elon on Monday, November 4th. The Tar Heels were -28.5 point favorites, but they didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 166, surpassing the O/U line of 152.5.

UNC led 51-39 at halftime and added 39 points in the 2nd half while allowing 37 points to Elon.

North Carolina put up 90 points in their last game, shooting 40.5% from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc, hitting 13 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.1%, and they were strong at the free-throw line, making 81.2% of their attempts.

RJ Davis led the way with 24 points and 7 assists, despite shooting just 36.8% overall and 27.3% from three. Elliot Cadeau contributed 17 points and 8 assists, hitting 3 of 4 from deep. Nick Dorn also added 17 points, connecting on 5 of 10 three-point attempts.

North Carolina’s defense gave up 76 points, with their opponents shooting 40% from the field, hitting 32 of 80 attempts. Inside the arc, they held their opponents to 39% shooting, with 19 makes on 48 attempts.

From three-point range, North Carolina allowed 13 threes on 32 attempts, a 40% clip. They also sent their opponents to the line 16 times, where they converted 13 free throws, shooting 81%. North Carolina gave up 18 offensive rebounds.

Is a Home Win Possible for Kansas?

Kansas opened their season with an 87-57 win over Howard on Monday, November 4th. Playing at home, the Jayhawks were -27.5 point favorites going into the game and covered the spread with the 30-point victory. The total points for the game were 144, falling short of the 155.5 O/U line.

Kansas dominated the first half, leading 46-19 at the break. In the second half, they scored 41 points but allowed Howard to put up 38 points, an area they’ll likely look to tighten up moving forward.

Kansas put up 87 points in their last game, shooting 59.3% from the field and 50% from three-point range, hitting 11 of 22 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 70.4%, with a strong 65.6% shooting on two-point attempts.

Zeke Mayo led the way with 19 points, hitting 5 of 8 threes, while Blake Harper and Hunter Dickinson each added 16 points. Flory Bidunga was perfect from the field, going 6 for 6 and grabbing 8 rebounds in just 17 minutes.

Despite Kansas allowing 57 points, their opponent shot 60% from the field, connecting on 32 of 53 attempts. Inside the arc, they were even more efficient, hitting 67% of their two-point shots, going 21/31.

From three-point range, Kansas’s opponent shot 50%, making 11 of 22 attempts. They also went to the line 16 times, converting 12 free throws for a 75% rate. Kansas gave up 5 offensive rebounds.