North Carolina vs. Virginia odds, prediction, time: 2026 college basketball picks for Jan. 24 from model

Ranked teams clash when the No. 22 North Carolina Tar Heels battle the No. 14 Virginia Cavaliers in a key ACC matchup on Saturday. North Carolina is coming off a 91-69 win over Notre Dame on Wednesday, while Virginia downed SMU 72-68 on Jan. 17. The Tar Heels (15-4, 3-3 ACC), who are seventh in the ACC, are just 1-3 on the road this year. The Cavaliers (16-2, 5-1 ACC), who are third in the conference, are 10-0 on their home floor this season.

Tipoff from John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va., is set for noon ET. Virginia is a 6.5-point favorite in the latest Virginia vs. North Carolina odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 150.5. Before making any North Carolina vs. Virginia picks, check out the men's college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times and it enters Week 12 on a sizzling 10-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its college basketball betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns. 

Now, the model has simulated UNC vs. Virginia 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted men's college basketball picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several men's college basketball odds and men's college basketball betting lines for UNC vs. Virginia:

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How to make North Carolina vs. Virginia picks

SportsLine's model is going Over on the total (139.5 points). The Over has hit in two of the last four head-to-head meetings between the teams. The Over has hit in each of the last five North Carolina games.

The model projects the Tar Heels to have three players register 13.4 points or more, including Caleb Wilson's projected 17.1 points. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are projected to have four players score 10.5 or more points, led by Malik Thomas, who is projected to score 16.3 points. The model projects a combined total of 151 points as the Over clears in well over 50% of simulations.

The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.

So who wins North Carolina vs. Virginia, and which side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the North Carolina vs. Virginia spread to back, all from the advanced model that has simulated this game 10,000 times, and find out.