The opening week of the 2024-25 college basketball season continues into the weekend, and Friday features a top-10 matchup, including the No. 1 team in the country in action, for Kansas vs. North Carolina at Kansas's Allen Fieldhouse. The No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks went 23-11 last season before losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels went 29-8 and lost in the Sweet 16. Kansas had the No. 3 ranked transfer portal acquisitions in the country, according to 247Sports.com, highlighted by small forward Rylan Griffen from Alabama. North Carolina returns ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, who averaged 21.2 points per game last year.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Friday at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. Kansas is an 8-point favorite in the latest North Carolina vs. Kansas odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points is 160.5, up 7.5 points from the opener. Before entering any Kansas vs. North Carolina picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the proven model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024-25 season on a 153-110 betting roll (+1891) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on UNC vs. Kansas. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the Kansas vs. UNC game:
- Kansas vs. North Carolina spread: Kansas -8
- Kansas vs. North Carolina over/under: 160.5 points
- Kansas vs. North Carolina money line: Kansas -352, North Carolina +279
- Kansas vs. North Carolina picks: See picks here
- Kansas vs. North Carolina streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why North Carolina can cover
The Tar Heels are led by one of the best basketball players in college basketball as North Carolina fans were thrilled to hear Davis was returning for his fifth season. The 6-foot guard has started all but one game over his last three years in North Carolina and is coming of averaging 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists in winning ACC Player of the Year last season. He had 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in North Carolina's 90-76 season-opening victory over Elon on Monday.
The Tar Heels' starting lineup is all returning players from last season. Although sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau is the only other returning starter, the core's experience with coach Hubert Davis' system should benefit North Carolina early in the season in the transfer portal era. Davis has a .718 win percentage entering his fourth year at North Carolina as he's proven plenty capable of continuing the legacy of one of the iconic college basketball programs in the nation. See which team to pick here.
Why Kansas can cover
The Jayhawks were the preseason No. 1 team in the country for good reason. Injuries and lack of depth played a key role in a disappointing result last year and Kansas sought to correct the depth issue with the transfer portal. Kansas added six players in the transfer portal, including four four-star players, according to rankings from 247Sports.com. They join previous transfer portal acquisitions, such as Hunter Dickinson, who averaged a double-double last season. The 7-foot-2 fifth-year senior averaged 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds last year and will be an impactful player again this season.
Bill Self enters his 22nd season as head coach with an .809 win percentage over his tenure at Kansas. The Jayhawks have won at least 20 games every season he's been there and he's proven to be a master at acquiring top talent both from high school and now in the transfer portal. There are huge expectations for Kansas this season, and what better way to show you are ready than a one-sided victory over North Carolina? See which team to pick here.
How to make Kansas vs. North Carolina picks
The model has simulated North Carolina vs. Kansas 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under the total, and it says one side of the spread hits over 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Kansas vs. North Carolina, and which side of the spread hits over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the North Carolina vs. Kansas spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 153-110 roll on top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.