North Carolina Tar Heels vs Stanford Cardinal Matchup

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

Stanford vs North Carolina Prediction

The Cardinal and Tar Heels are set to face off at 2:15 ET on CW. The Tar Heels will host the game at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC. The over/under for this game is set at 156.5 points, and North Carolina is favored by -11.5 vs. Stanford in a Atlantic Coast conference matchup.

Stanford vs. North Carolina Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Stanford Cardinal at North Carolina Tar Heels
Where: Chapel Hill at Dean E. Smith Center
Date: Saturday, January 18th
Betting Odds NCAR -11.5, STAN +470 | NCAR -670 O/U 156.5

Cardinal Preview: Can the Cardinal Pull Out the Win as Road Underdogs?

Stanford Cardinal Recent Game/Games

Stanford fell to 11-6 on the season after an 80-67 loss to Wake Forest on Wednesday. The Cardinal, who were +5.5 point underdogs going into the game, didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 147, surpassing the over/under line of 140.5.

Stanford led 35-33 at halftime but struggled in the second half, scoring just 32 points while allowing 47 to Wake Forest.

Cardinal Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Stanford put up 67 points, shooting 44.4% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 51.9%, and they hit 78.6% of their free throws, going 11-for-14 from the line. The Cardinal dished out 15 assists and grabbed 6 offensive rebounds.

Hunter Sallis led the way with 30 points, shooting 70.6% overall and 60% from deep. Tre'Von Spillers added 18 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 80% of his shots. Oziyah Sellers contributed 16 points, while Jaylen Blakes had 15 points and 7 assists.

Cardinal Team Defense

Stanford's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 80 points on 50% shooting from the field. The Cardinal allowed 26 two-point field goals on 47 attempts, with the opposing team hitting 55% of their shots inside the arc.

From beyond the three-point line, Stanford held their opponent to just 3 made threes on 11 attempts, a 27% shooting performance. However, they sent the other team to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 19 of their attempts, good for 79%. Stanford also gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Tar Heels Preview: Will the Tar Heels Win at Home?

North Carolina Tar Heels Recent Game/Games

North Carolina improved to 12-6 on the season with a dominant 79-53 win over California on Wednesday. The Tar Heels were heavy favorites at -15.5 and covered the spread with ease. The total points for the game were 132, well under the pre-game over/under line of 159.5.

After leading 39-29 at halftime, North Carolina clamped down defensively, allowing just 24 points in the second half while scoring 40 of their own.

Tar Heels Offense Breakdown

North Carolina put up 79 points in their last game, shooting 47.7% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.3%. They hit 51% of their two-point attempts (26/51) and went 5/14 from beyond the arc, shooting 35.7% from three. At the free-throw line, they were nearly perfect, hitting 12 of 13 attempts for a 92.3% success rate.

Ian Jackson led the way with 20 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 53.3% from the field. Mady Sissoko was highly efficient, scoring 16 points on 8/9 shooting and grabbing 8 rebounds. Elliot Cadeau added 15 points and 3 assists, while Seth Trimble contributed 12 points and 6 boards.

Tar Heels Team Defense

Despite giving up 53 points, North Carolina's defense allowed their opponent to shoot 47% from the field, with 31 made baskets on 65 attempts. Inside the arc, the Tar Heels gave up 26 two-point field goals on 51 attempts, resulting in a 51% shooting percentage for the other team.

From three-point range, North Carolina's opponent shot 35%, making 5 of their 14 attempts. The Tar Heels also sent the other team to the free-throw line 13 times, where they converted 12 of those attempts, shooting 92% from the stripe. Additionally, North Carolina allowed 11 offensive rebounds.

Cardinal vs Tar Heels Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Cardinal last three road games, the team averaged 68 points per game while allowing 82. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 0-3, while going 0-3 straight-up.
Through their last five home games, North Carolina has an ATS record of just 2-3. However, their overall record was 4-1 while averaging 74 points per game.
The last ten games that Stanford was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 2-8 straight up.
In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Tar Heels have a straight up record of 8-2 and an ATS mark of 3-7.