The No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels look to hand No. 18 Kentucky its first home loss of the season on Tuesday night.
This top-25 college basketball matchup features potential NBA lottery pick Caleb Wilson for UNC and Mark Pope’s very deep, experienced Wildcats, who are favored by 6.5 points.
Oddsmakers also believe this will be a high-scoring contest with the point total sitting near 163.5 on most books.
UNC started 6-0 on the season, but suffered its first loss to No. 11 Michigan State on Thanksgiving, while the Wildcats have rattled off two straight wins over unranked Loyola Maryland and Tennessee Tech.
UNC vs. Kentucky best bet, prediction
Hubert Davis has a real gem in the 6-foot-10 Wilson, who is averaging a team-high 19.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest.
The McDonald’s All-American out of Atlanta displays pro-level athleticism when finishing at the basket and can also extend the defense with mid-range shooting ability.
Wilson supplants his upside on defense as well, with averages of 1.3 blocks and 1.7 steals a game.
The talented freshman, alongside Junior Henri Veesaar, could present some problems for a Wildcats frontcourt that is missing Mo Dioubate.
As great as Carolina’s bigs have been, the absence of point guard Seth Trimble is worrisome. The Tar Heels generated only nine assists in their loss to MSU last week.
That lack of offensive firepower could play right into Kentucky’s game plan, as Pope’s Wildcats defense has been stellar at Rupp Arena, allowing visitors only 52.6 points per game.
Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, and Collin Chandler combine to be an efficient guard trio for Kentucky’s offense. Chandler (48.8 3P%) and Aberdeen (38.7 3P%) each can light it up from the perimeter.
Betting on College Basketball?
Kentucky’s two losses have come to No. 12 Louisville and No. 17 Michigan State, while its unbeaten home record has come against less appealing opponents.
In those two meetings with Louisville and Michigan State, Kentucky’s tough defense collapsed, allowing 96 and 88 points, respectively.
Take UNC to cover the 6.5 points.
With a win over No. 19 Kansas already on the resume, when Darryn Peterson was healthy, UNC has proven it can match up with increased competition. They’ll also be thinking about redemption after a poor showing against the Spartans.
The Tar Heels have just enough to keep this one close, and Wilson could have his primetime breakout performance tonight.
The Play: North Carolina +6.5 (-110, DraftKings)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
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