Kansas Jayhawks vs North Carolina Tar Heels Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our North Carolina vs Kansas NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Lawrence.

North Carolina vs Kansas Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Tar Heels versus the Jayhawks? Tip off is at at 7:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN2. The game will be played at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 158.5 points, with Kansas being favored by -7.5 over North Carolina.

North Carolina vs. Kansas Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: North Carolina Tar Heels at Kansas Jayhawks
Where: Lawrence at Allen Fieldhouse
Date: Friday, November 8th
Betting Odds KAN -7.5, NCAR +264 | KAN -370 O/U 158.5

Tar Heels Preview: Will the Tar Heels Find a Way to Win on the Road?

North Carolina opened their season with a 90-76 win over Elon on Monday. The Tar Heels were heavy favorites at -28.5 but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 166 exceeded the O/U line of 152.5.

UNC led 51-39 at halftime and outscored Elon 39-37 in the 2nd half.

Tar Heels Offense Breakdown

North Carolina put up 90 points in their last game, shooting 40.5% from the field. They connected on 41.9% of their threes, hitting 13 of 31 attempts, and were strong from the free-throw line, making 81.2% of their shots. The Tar Heels also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 22 assists.

RJ Davis led the way with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, despite shooting 36.8% overall and 27.3% from three. Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble both shot 75% from beyond the arc, with Cadeau adding 8 assists. Nick Dorn hit 5 threes at a 50% clip, finishing with 17 points.

Tar Heels Team Defense

North Carolina's defense gave up 76 points in their last game, allowing the opponent to shoot 40% from the field on 32 of 80 attempts. Inside the arc, they held the opposing team to 39% shooting, with 19 made baskets on 48 attempts.

From three-point range, the opponent hit 13 of 32 shots, good for 40%. They also went to the free-throw line 16 times, converting 13 for an 81% success rate. North Carolina allowed 18 offensive rebounds in the game.

Jayhawks Preview: Can the Jayhawks Hold Strong at Home?

Kansas opened their season with an 87-57 win over Howard on Monday, November 4th. The Jayhawks, playing at home, were -27.5 point favorites and covered the spread. The game’s total points of 144 fell short of the 155.5 O/U line.

Kansas dominated early, leading 46-19 at halftime, but allowed Howard to score 38 points in the 2nd half while putting up 41 points of their own.

Jayhawks Offense Breakdown

Kansas put up 87 points in their last game, shooting 59.3% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, hitting 11 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 70.4%, with 20 assists on 32 made field goals.

Flory Bidunga was perfect from the field, going 6/6, while Blake Harper hit all 3 of his threes. Zeke Mayo connected on 5 threes, shooting 62.5% from deep, and Hunter Dickinson also made his only three-point attempt.

Jayhawks Team Defense

Even with Kansas allowing 57 points, their defense struggled, giving up a 60% shooting performance, including 67% from two-point range. The Jayhawks sent their opponents to the line 16 times, where they hit 12 free throws.

From beyond the arc, Kansas allowed 11 threes on 22 attempts, a 50% success rate. They did manage to limit second-chance points, giving up just 5 offensive rebounds.

Tar Heels vs Jayhawks Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

North Carolina has played well in their previous three road games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 72 points per game while allowing 69. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
In their last ten games at home, the Jayhawks have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 4-6 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 70 points per game in these contests.
As the betting underdog, the Tar Heels have an ATS mark of just 2-8 in their last ten games. North Carolina posted a straight up mark of 2-8 in these matchups.
The last ten games that Kansas was favored, they have an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 8-2 straight up.