The seventh-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels will look to improve their road record to 7-1 on the season when they battle the Syracuse Orange in an ACC matchup on Tuesday. The Tar Heels (19-5, 11-2 ACC), who have won 12 of 14 overall, are just 2-2 over the last four games but still hold a one-game lead in the conference standings. The Orange (15-9, 6-7 ACC), who have lost the last three meetings with North Carolina, including a 103-67 setback on Jan. 13 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., have won 11 of 13 games at home this season. The Orange, however, are 0-4 against ranked opponents in 2023-24.
The game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET from the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. UNC is averaging 82.5 points per game, while Syracuse averages 76.5. The Tar Heels are 8-point favorites in the latest North Carolina vs. Syracuse odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 157.5. Before making any Syracuse vs. North Carolina picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 15 of the 2023-24 season on a 131-88 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $2,500 for $100 players. It is also off to a sizzling 24-12 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UNC vs. Syracuse and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Syracuse vs. UNC:
- North Carolina vs. Syracuse spread: North Carolina -8
- North Carolina vs. Syracuse over/under: 157.5 points
- North Carolina vs. Syracuse money line: North Carolina -364, Syracuse +288
- UNC: The Tar Heels have hit the game total under in 12 of their last 14 away games (+9.80 units)
- SYR: The Orange have hit the first-half game total under in 20 of their last 30 games (+8.40 units)
- North Carolina vs. Syracuse picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why North Carolina can cover
Junior forward Harrison Ingram, in his first season with the Tar Heels after playing three years at Stanford, is one of four North Carolina players averaging 10 or more points per game. In 24 starts for the Tar Heels, Ingram is averaging 12.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 32.2 minutes of action. He has seven double-doubles on the year, including an 11-point and 10-rebound performance against Syracuse on Jan. 13. He scored 21 points and grabbed 13 boards in a 93-84 win over Duke on Feb. 3.
Senior guard Cormac Ryan is also in his first season with the program. He spent the last three years at Notre Dame after having played at Stanford in 2018-19. In 23 games for the Tar Heels, including 22 starts, he is averaging 10.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 29.2 minutes. He has reached double-figure scoring 12 times, including a season-high 20 points in an 87-83 loss to Kentucky on Dec. 16. See which team to pick here.
Why Syracuse can cover
Sophomore guard Judah Mintz powers the Orange on offense. In 24 games, including 23 starts, he is averaging 18.2 points, 4.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 33.2 minutes. He is coming off a 14-point, five-assist and two-rebound performance in Saturday's loss to Clemson. He scored 21 points, had four assists, two steals and two rebounds in a 94-92 win over Louisville on Wednesday.
Sophomore guard J.J. Starling, who played last season at Notre Dame, has started all 24 games for the Orange this season. He has reached double-digit scoring in 16 games, including in each of the last eight. He had a season-high 26 points with four rebounds in a 77-65 win over North Carolina State on Jan. 27. He scored 16 points, grabbed three boards and made two steals against Clemson. See which team to pick here.
How to make Syracuse vs. UNC picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 150 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can 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 see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 24-12 roll on top-ranked college basketball spread picks.