The Syracuse Orange will look to hand the No. 7-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels their first Atlantic Coast Conference loss of the year when they battle on Saturday. The Orange (11-4, 2-2 ACC), who have won six of their last seven games, are coming off a 69-59 win over Boston College on Wednesday. The Tar Heels (12-3, 4-0 ACC), who have won five in a row, are coming off a 67-54 win at North Carolina State on Wednesday. UNC is 6-0 on its home court, while Syracuse is 1-2 on the road.
Tipoff from Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., is set for noon ET. UNC leads the all-time series 16-6, including 6-0 in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels are 13-point favorites in the latest Syracuse vs. North Carolina odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 155. Before making any North Carolina vs. Syracuse picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions from SportsLine’s proven model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 10 of the 2023-24 season on a 105-69 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $2,000 for $100 players. It is also off to a fast 12-5 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on UNC vs. Syracuse. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s picks. Now here are the latest betting trends and lines for Syracuse vs. UNC:
- North Carolina vs. Syracuse spread: North Carolina -13
- North Carolina vs. Syracuse over/under: 155 points
- North Carolina vs. Syracuse money line: Syracuse +619, North Carolina -961
- SYR: The Orange have hit the game total Over in 8 of their last 11 away games (+4.75 units)
- UNC: The Tar Heels have hit the game total Under in 19 of their last 31 games (+5.80 units)
- North Carolina vs. Syracuse picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why North Carolina can cover
Senior guard RJ Davis helps power the Tar Heels, and is averaging 20.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. In 15 games, all starts, he is connecting on 42.4% of his shots from the floor, including 39.6% from 3-point range, and 95.1% of his free throws. He has reached double-digit scoring in 14 games, including a season-high 30 points in an 87-72 win over No. 20 Arkansas on Nov. 24. He has also registered one double-double, a 20-point and 10-assist effort in a 105-60 win over Charleston Southern on Dec. 29.
Senior forward Armando Bacot is averaging a double-double with 14.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He is a 52.4% shooter, and has connected on 78.3% of his free throws. In 15 starts, he has registered seven double-doubles, including a 22-point and 20-rebound performance in a 90-68 win over Lehigh on Nov. 12. In a 65-55 win at No. 16 Clemson last weekend, he scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Syracuse can cover
Sophomore Judah Mintz leads the Orange by averaging 18.5 points, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. He has scored in double figures in each of the last seven games, including 28 points in an 81-70 win over Cornell on Dec. 5. He scored a season-high 33 points and grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists in an 80-57 win over LSU on Nov. 28. He is coming off a 10-point effort in Wednesday’s win over Boston College.
Sophomore J.J. Starling, a transfer from Notre Dame, also helps power the Orange offense. In 15 starts, he is averaging 11 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He has scored 10 points or more eight times, including 21 at Georgetown in an 80-68 win on Dec. 9. Starling had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in an 89-77 victory over Canisius on Nov. 8. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Syracuse vs. UNC picks
The model has simulated this matchup 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins UNC vs. Syracuse, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 105-69 roll on its top-ranked college basketball picks, and find out.
