UNC Wilmington vs North Carolina Prediction, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks
Tar Heels Favored to Win 21st Straight Home Opener
Four Returning Starters Back for Tar Heels
North Carolina comes into the season as a team to beat not only in the Atlantic Coast Conference but in the race for the national title.
The Tar Heels have won their home opener in each of the last 20 seasons and are favored to make it 21 in a row. North Carolina is 100-12 in season openers.
North Carolina is ranked first in the Associated Press Top 25 poll heading into the season for a record 10th time.
UNC Wilmington was picked to finish fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason poll.
One of the teams is coming off winning a national tournament, but it is not North Carolina, which fell to Kansas in the NCAA Division I title game. After losing in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game, UNC Wilmington won the CBI tournament with an overtime win over Middle Tennessee.
According to the college basketball playoff odds, the Tar Heels (+850) are tied for the best odds to win the national title.
North Carolina (+135) is favored to win the ACC title.
Let’s check the latest college basketball odds, stats, injury reports, and college basketball lines for UNC Wilmington vs North Carolina. We’ve plenty of NCAA basketball odds for you to consider.
Seahawks Look to Build on 27-Win Season
A year ago, the Seahawks threw a scare into an ACC team when UNC Wilmington fell to Pittsburgh.
Facing North Carolina will be a much tougher challenge, especially with the departure of the top two scorers. Jaylen Sims and Mike Okauru combined for 29.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game to lead UNC Wilmington Seahawks to 27 wins.
Shykeim Phillips is the top returning scorer. The Seahawks added former Marist forward Victor Enoh as well as Nick Farrar, a forward out of Charleston, Ole Miss forward Eric Van Der Heijden, UW-Milwaukee’s Donovan Newby and North Dakota State’s Maleeck Harden-Hayes.
UNC Wilmington covered against the Las Vegas odds in eight of its last nine games.
Double-Double Machine Bacot Leads UNC
No Division I men’s player had more double-doubles a season ago than North Carolina’s Armando Bacot and now he looks to build on an impressive junior season.
Bacot averaged 18 points and 9.3 rebounds when the North Carolina Tar Heels opened the 2021-22 season with three games in a row against mid-major teams.
He won’t be doing it alone as fellow starters Caleb Love, R.J. Davis, and Leaky Black also return.
Count ’em up 📈
And don’t forget, @peteln22 is one of the most versatile bigs in the country (Malone Award Watch List) and @LeakyBlack is the best defender in college basketball… oh and our bench is DEEEEEP.
Are you excited yet? pic.twitter.com/LTDYkwlMtw
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) November 5, 2022
Former Northwestern forward Pete Nance started and had 19 points and six rebounds in an exhibition game against Johnson C Smith. Freshman Seth Trimble also scored in double figures.
North Carolina finished the 2021-22 season by covering against the college basketball betting lines in its final six games.
UNC Wilmington vs North Carolina Game Injuries
UNC Wilmington vs North Carolina Head-to-Head
This is the first meeting between the teams since 2019.
The Tar Heels have won the last five meetings by an average of 23 points.
UNC Wilmington covered in the most recent meeting, losing 78-62 as a 22-point underdog.
Each of the last three games between the teams finished under the total.
UNC Wilmington vs North Carolina Game Information
- Game: UNC Wilmington (3-6-0) vs North Carolina (10-2-0)
- Location: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, N.C.
- Day/Time: Monday, Nov. 7, 9 p.m. ET
- UNC Wilmington vs North Carolina Live stream: TBS.com
UNC Wilmington vs North Carolina Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Total | Team Total |
| NC Wilmington | +23 -110 | O152-110 | 64½-115
U64½-115 |
| North Carolina |
-23 -110
|
U152-110 | O87½-115
U87½-115 |
The odds in this chart are based on the time of publication. They are subject to change.
UNC Wilmington vs North Carolina Prediction
North Carolina has won its last 10 games against teams from the Colonial Athletic Association
This will be the first game for North Carolina coach Hubert Davis with UNC ranked No. 1.
UNC Wilmington is 2-43 in its history against teams from the Power-5 conferences.
North Carolina guards Davis and Puff Johnson are probable for the game while forward Jalen Washington is questionable.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
