The North Carolina Tar Heels look to continue their winning ways when they take on the visiting Furman Paladins in nonconference action on Tuesday night. The Paladins (7-3), who have won four of five, are playing their second ACC opponent of the season. Furman defeated Louisville 80-72 on Nov. 12. The Tar Heels (7-2), who have won four in a row, are coming off an 80-63 triumph over Elon on Saturday. North Carolina leads the all-time series 23-2, although they haven’t played since Dec. 22, 1986.
Tipoff from the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Tar Heels are 11.5-point favorites in the latest North Carolina vs. Furman odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 153. Before making any Furman vs. North Carolina picks, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UNC vs. Furman 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 Furman vs. UNC:
- North Carolina vs. Furman spread: North Carolina -11.5
- North Carolina vs. Furman over-under: 153 points
- North Carolina vs. Furman money line: UNC -700, Furman +475
- FUR: The over is 7-0 in the Paladins’ last seven games following a straight-up win
- UNC: The Tar Heels are 2-5-1 against the spread in their last eight games against a team with a winning straight-up record
Featured Game | North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Furman Paladins
Why North Carolina can cover
The Tar Heels have held their last four opponents to 63 or fewer points, the first time they have accomplished that since the first four games of 2012-13. North Carolina is 5-0 at home this season and 442-81 all-time in the Smith Center, including 216-18 against non-ACC foes. Sophomore guard Caleb Love leads the Tar Heels’ offense, averaging 16.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He is connecting on 43.2 percent of his 3-pointers and 79.5 percent of his free throws.
Also powering North Carolina is junior forward Armando Bacot, who has registered five double-doubles already this season. His 15-point, 13 rebound effort helped lift the Tar Heels to a 79-62 win at Georgia Tech on Dec. 5. He scored a season-high 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 94-83 win over Charleston on Nov. 16. For the year, Bacot averages 14.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.6 assists per game.
Why Furman can cover
They may not play in a high profile conference, but the Paladins are no pushover. Furman boasts three players averaging 16 points or better, led by fifth-year senior Alex Hunter. Hunter has reached double figures in nine of 10 games, including four games of 22 or more points. He scored a season-high 25 points in a 91-88 overtime win over Charleston on Dec. 3. For the year, he is averaging 17.6 points, 3.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and one steal. He is connecting on 51.3 percent of his field goals, including 47.6 percent from 3-point range, and is a 78.9 percent free throw shooter.
Another stalwart on offense is senior forward Jalen Slawson, who averages 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks and two steals per game. He scored 16 points on Friday in a 73-65 win over Appalachian State. He has registered four double-doubles, including a season-best 33 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Charleston. Slawson has improved tremendously over last season, when he averaged 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds.
How to make Furman vs. North Carolina picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 152 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s North Carolina vs. Furman pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Furman vs. North Carolina? And which side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Furman vs. North Carolina spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,400 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
