North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech Prediction
Number eighteen North Carolina heads to Blacksburg, VA to face unranked Virginia Tech at 3:00 PM ET Sunday afternoon. Can the Hokies win the game outright in this game without a spread?
North Carolina is 5-3 on the year with their best wins coming over James Madison and Portland. Their worst losses came against Iowa State and Alabama. The Tar Heels are 1-6-1 against the spread this season.
Virginia Tech is 7-1 this season with their best wins coming over Penn State and Minnesota. Their only loss came against Charleston on November 20th. The Hokies are 2-6 against the spread this year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
100 North Carolina Tar Heels (PK) vs. 101 Virginia Tech Hokies (PK); O/U 142.5
3:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 4, 2022
Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, VA
North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public favors the Tar Heels in this contest. Our public betting data illustrates that 65% of public bets are on North Carolina as an outright winner. Do note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
North Carolina Game Notes
The Tar Heels have lost three straight games. Guards Caleb Love and R.J. Davis have shot poorly during that stretch. Junior Caleb Love leads North Carolina in scoring with 19.1 points per game. But his efficiency hasn’t been great. Love is only shooting 40.6% from the field and 25% from deep on the year. He’ll need to play better if UNC is going to win this game on the road.
North Carolina senior forward Armando Bacot has been great again this season. He is second on the team in scoring with 16.1 points per game and ranks 8th in the country in rebounding at 11.1 per game. Bacot has recorded 4 double-doubles in 8 games while shooting an efficient 54.5% from the field. North Carolina will need his steady presence in this game.
Virginia Tech Game Notes
Virginia Tech’s leading scorer is 6’1” sophomore guard Sean Padulla. Padulla is averaging 17.1 points per game on 50.9% shooting from the field. Padulla also leads the Hokies with 4 assists per game and he’s shooting a respectable 36.6% from deep on 5.1 three-point attempts per contest.
The man in the middle for Virginia Tech is Delaware transfer Justyn Mutts. Mutts is a 6’7” senior forward that leads the Hokies with 9 rebounds per game. Mutts is also chipping in 12.6 points per game while making a healthy 57.8% of his field goal attempts. Justyn Mutts and senior forward Grant Basile will likely be tasked with slowing down Bacot on the interior. Those matchups will go a long way toward determining the result of this game.
North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech CBB Betting Trends
North Carolina is 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 Sunday games.
North Carolina is 3-1-2 ATS in their last 6 games following an outright loss.
Virginia Tech is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 home games.
The road team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings between North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech CBB Prediction:
The North Carolina Tar Heels have lost three games in a row by a combined 19 points. Two of those games were against ranked opponents (Alabama and Indiana). The Tar Heels made it all the way to the NCAA Tournament championship game last year and lost the final game to Kansas by 3 points. The Tar Heels then returned four of their top five players when it came to games started and minutes played last season (Caleb Love, R.J. Davis, Armando Bacot, and Leaky Black). Both Caleb Love and R.J. Davis are shooting below 41% from the field so far this season. Those two players are too skilled for those percentages to stay that low all season. I think North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis rights the ship in Blacksburg, and the Tar Heels begin a new winning streak on Sunday afternoon.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: NORTH CAROLINA PK
