Imperial Arena hosts an intriguing slate of college basketball action beginning on Wednesday. That is the site of the 2023 Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, with four games on the docket. The opener is a matchup between the Northern Iowa Panthers and the No. 14 North Carolina Tar Heels. Northern Iowa is 1-2 overall this season, while UNC is unbeaten at 3-0 with wins over Radford, Lehigh, and UC Riverside.
SportsLine consensus lists the Tar Heels as 12-point favorites for this noon ET tipoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 149 in the latest Northern Iowa vs. North Carolina odds. Before making any North Carolina vs. Northern Iowa picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 3 of the 2023-24 season on an 88-57 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UNC vs. Northern Iowa and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Northern Iowa vs. UNC:
- UNC vs. Northern Iowa spread: North Carolina -12
- UNC vs. Northern Iowa over/under: 149 points
- UNC vs. Northern Iowa money line: North Carolina -815, Northern Iowa +544
- UNI: The Panthers are 7-2 against the spread in the last 9 neutral-site games
- UNC: The Tar Heels are 9-8-1 against the spread in the last 18 neutral-site games
- UNC vs. Northern Iowa picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Northern Iowa can cover
Northern Iowa has a pair of standout veterans in Nate Heise and Tytan Anderson. Heise is averaging 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, and he is shooting 51.5% from the field. Anderson led the team with 8.5 rebounds per game in 2022-23, and he is putting up 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game to begin the 2023-24 campaign. As a team, Northern Iowa is making 58.0% of 2-point attempts, and the Panthers are above the national average in assists per game (15.0) and turnover avoidance.
On defense, Northern Iowa is excellent in opponent shooting, giving up only 40.8% from the field, and the Panthers are allowing only 16.3 free throw attempts and 10.7 assists per game. Northern Iowa is also rock-solid on the defensive glass, an important trait against North Carolina, and the Tar Heels have struggled to only 31% 3-point shooting this season. See which team to pick here.
Why North Carolina can cover
North Carolina has excellent metrics on both ends of the floor to begin the season. On defense, the Tar Heels are holding opponents to only 87.6 points per 100 possessions, and North Carolina is in the top three of the country in giving up only 7.7 free throw attempts per game. North Carolina is holding opponents to only 40% shooting on 2-point attempts, and the Tar Heels are grabbing 73.0% of available defensive rebounds. UNC is also blocking 13.9% of opponent shots, and Northern Iowa is shooting only 31.7% from 3-point range and 62.3% from the free throw line.
North Carolina also has a clear X-factor in Armando Bacot, who is a three-time All-ACC selection and 2023-24 preseason All-American. He is shooting 61% from the field while averaging 22.7 points per game, and Bacot is arguably the country's best rebounder, snatching 13.3 rebounds per contest. North Carolina is scoring more than 1.16 points per possession, and the Tar Heels are shooting 55.7% from 2-point range. Led by Bacot, North Carolina has an outstanding 34.6% offensive rebound rate, and the Tar Heels are above-average in free throw creation and free throw accuracy. See which team to pick here.
How to make Northern Iowa vs. UNC picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 145 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins North Carolina vs. Northern Iowa, and which side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks dating back to last season, and find out.
