An ACC showdown features the North Carolina Tar Heels squaring off against the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday afternoon. North Carolina is 11-6 overall but fell to No. 13 Virginia 65-58 in their last outing. Louisville is 2-15 overall and is currently on a six-game losing streak. North Carolina leads the all-time series 18-7, and the Tar Heels have won three straight games against the Cardinals.
Tip-off from the KFC Yum! Arena in Louisville, Ky., is set for 2 p.m. ET. The Tar Heels are 12-point favorites in the latest Louisville vs. North Carolina odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 144. Before locking in any North Carolina vs. Louisville picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 9 of the season 34-18 on all-top rated college basketball picks, returning more than $1,000 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on North Carolina vs. Louisville and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Louisville vs. North Carolina:
North Carolina vs. Louisville spread: Tar Heels -12North Carolina vs. Louisville Over-Under: 144 pointsNorth Carolina vs. Louisville Moneyline: Tar Heels -800, Cardinals +550UNC: Tar Heels are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 Saturday gamesLOU: Cardinals are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight-up loss
North Carolina vs. Louisville picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Why North Carolina can cover
Junior guard RJ Davis is an athletic and energetic scoring option who uses his quickness to penetrate the lane and score or dish the rock. The New York native spaces the floor and shoots 36% from 3-point land. He averages 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. On Jan. 4, Davis racked up a season-high 27 points with four rebounds and four assists.
Senior forward Leaky Black has good athleticism and is aggressive when attacking the basket. Black is a solid finisher around the rim and plays with a high motor. The North Carolina native has good defensive instincts, logging at least two steals in seven games this season. Black logs 7.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game.
Why Louisville can cover
Senior guard El Ellis is thriving as the main scorer for this offense. Ellis owns the moves and skills to get a bucket from all three levels on the floor. The North Carolina native is fourth in the ACC in scoring (17.5) and sixth in assists (4.7), having scored at least 20 points in four of his last six games. On Jan. 3, Ellis logged 20 points, four rebounds, and nine assists.
Freshman guard Mike James joins Ellis in the backcourt and provides the Cardinals with another scoring weapon. The Florida native shoots the ball with confidence and has picked up his play recently. James has scored at least 17 points in three straight games. In the Jan. 7 loss to Wake Forest, he logged 24 points, eight rebounds, and went 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
How to make North Carolina vs. Louisville picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 141 points. The model also says one side hits almost 60% of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Louisville vs. North Carolina? And which side hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
