North Carolina
North Carolina vs. Virginia odds, score prediction: 2024 college basketball picks for Feb. 24 by proven model
An ACC battle features the No. 10 North Carolina Tar Heels (20-6) going on the road to play the Virginia Cavaliers (20-7) on Saturday. The Tar Heels have won two of their last three games. On Feb. 17, UNC blew out Virginia Tech 96-81. Meanwhile, Virginia has dropped two of its past three games, including a 75-41 blowout loss to Virginia Tech on Monday.
Tipoff from John Paul Jones Arena in Virginia is set for 4 p.m. ET. The Tar Heels are 3-point favorites in the latest North Carolina vs. Virginia odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 130. Before making any Virginia vs. North Carolina picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 16 of the 2023-24 season on a 136-89 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $2,500 for $100 players. It is also off to a sizzling 25-13 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UNC vs. UVA and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for UVA vs. UNC:
- North Carolina vs. Virginia spread: Tar Heels -3
- North Carolina vs. Virginia over/under 130 points
- North Carolina vs. Virginia money line: Tar Heels -147, Cavaliers +124
- UNC: North Carolina has hit the game total Under in 10 of last 13 away games
- UVA: Virginia has won 15 of its last 18 games at home
- North Carolina vs. Virginia picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why North Carolina can cover
Senior guard RJ Davis has been the Tar Heels’ best offensive playmaker all season long. Davis is extremely fast and elusive in the open court while scoring from all over the floor. The New York native is ninth in the country in scoring (21.3) with 3.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists. In his last game, Davis finished with 20 points and five assists.
Senior forward Armando Bacot is a forceful player in the frontcourt. The Virginia native is ninth in the nation in rebounds (10.3) with 14.6 points and shoots 55% from the field. He’s supplied 13 double-doubles this season. See which team to pick here.
Why Virginia can cover
Senior guard Reece Beekman is an impactful player for the Cavaliers. The Wisconsin native leads the team in points (13.9), assists (5.8) and steals (2.2). He’s racked up 20-plus points in three of his last seven games. On Feb. 17 against Wake Forest, Beekman had 20 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Sophomore guard Isaac McKneely provides the squad with a knockdown shooter on the outside. McKneely has a very quick release as a catch-and-shoot threat and even off the dribble. The West Virginia native averages 12.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and shoots 46% from downtown. In the Feb. 10 game versus Florida State, McKneely dropped a season-high 29 points and made five threes. See which team to pick here.
How to make Virginia vs. UNC picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 137 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time. You can see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins UNC vs. Virginia, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 25-13 roll on top-ranked college basketball spread picks.
Sunday’s matchup will be a step down in competition, as the North Carolina Tar Heels’ recent schedule has featured Michigan State, Kentucky, and Georgetown in the last four weeks. With all due respect to the USC Upstate Spartans, they are not in the same class as any of the three teams mentioned above.
North Carolina’s coaching staff and personnel should not view this game as a pointless outing, as the Tar Heels can utilize this matchup to continue developing key features that will serve them well down the road.
With that being said, here are a couple of expectations for North Carolina in a home matchup against USC Upstate.
Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar Should Continue Dominance
The Tar Heels’ frontcourt, consisting of Veesaar and Wilson, has been the team’s driving force on both ends of the floor. That trend should continue on Saturday against USC Upstate, as the Spartans are an undersized team, with their tallest player at 6-foot-9.
This season, Wilson is averaging 19.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, while shooting 53.2 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Veesaar is averaging 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game, while shooting 63.6 percent from the field.
Both players could total career highs in points and rebounds in this game, which could easily translate to 20+ in each category.
Another Steppingstone for the Backcourt
North Carolina’s backcourt produced a complete group effort against Georgetown on Sunday, with Kyan Evans and Derek Dixon having standout performances. Evans totaled seven points and four assists, which all occurred in the opening minutes, but it set the tone for the Tar Heels. Dixon scored 14 points, while shooting 5-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three-point range.
Head coach Hubert Davis highlighted both players’ performances against the Hoyas during his postgame press conference.
- “I thought the start that [Kyan Evans] had was huge for us,” Davis said. “I mean, it’s not just the shots that he made. He was confident, he was aggressive, he was on point. It’s been five out of eight games where he’s gotten into foul trouble, so we’ve [got to] find a way to keep him out there on the floor.”
- “I really like [Kyan] and Derek [Dixon] on the floor at the same time,” Davis continued. “I’ve always said that I love multiple ball handlers. You can’t take us out of our offense. And with those two, with the way that Georgetown was switching defenses, we always had somebody that can handle the basketball and get us into a set and get us organized.”
That was the first time in weeks where Evans was playing with complete confidence and was not hesitant shooting the ball from the perimeter. As for Dixon, it was the second straight game the freshman guard played a monumental role in the team’s win. Both players have an opportunity to replicate that level of production on Saturday.
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(WLOS) — North Carolina has approved film and entertainment grants for two television series and an independent feature-length film.
According to a release from Gov. Josh Stein, this is expected to create nearly 5,000 jobs and spend more than $113 million during production.
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The productions include season two of “The Hunting Wives,” approved for an award of up to $15 million, filming around Lake Norman and Charlotte, and the new series “RJ Decker” in New Hanover County, which was approved for an award of up to $11.6 million.
The independent thriller “Widow,” which was approved for an award of up to $1.8 million, also recently completed filming in Davidson, Forsyth, Stokes, and Yadkin counties.
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“We are excited to have these new productions in North Carolina creating 4,900 jobs for our state’s crew and film-friendly businesses,” Stein said in the release. “North Carolina remains a top state for film, and these grants enable us to continue our strong tradition of TV and film production excellence.”
Additionally, the romantic comedy film “Merv,” which was filmed in New Hanover County and received a North Carolina Film grant, released on Amazon’s Prime Video on Dec. 10.
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Other productions that were recently filmed in North Carolina include the films “Christy” and “Roofman,” as well as the popular series “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
“These productions bring direct economic benefits and also raise the state’s visibility among audiences, leading to increased tourist activity and visitor spending over time,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley.
North Carolina coach Bill Belichick has fired offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer.
“We want to thank Coach Kitchens and Coach Priefer for their commitment and many contributions to our program and student-athletes,” Belichick said in a statement, per ESPN. “We wish them both nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”
Kitchens, the former Alabama quarterback and head coach of the Browns in 2019, was the Tar Heels’ interim coach in 2024.
Belichick brought Priefer to UNC after two decades in the NFL, and two years out of football.
Under Kitchens, North Carolina’s offense ranked 119th in scoring (19.3 PPG) and 129th in total offense (288.8 YPG).
The Tar Heels finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the ACC.
Kitchens won Alabama’s Mr. Football honor in 1992 as the quarterback at Etowah High School.
Kitchens shared the quarterback duties at Alabama with Brian Burgdorf in 1995 before taking over full-time under center for the Crimson Tide in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
After three more college stops, Kitchens entered the NFL as the Dallas Cowboys’ tight-ends coach in 2006 and stayed in the league for the next 17 seasons, including as Cleveland’s head coach in 2019, when the Browns went 6-10.
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