The Charleston Cougars (1-0) and the No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (1-0) meet Friday at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ACC Network). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Charleston vs. North Carolina odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Charleston opened with a solid 85-78 win over Chattanooga, covering a 4.5-point spread as the Over connected. The Cougars shot 45% from the field (28 of 62), and Reyne Smith was the big man on campus with 24 points, including five 3-pointers. Charleston had 3 players in double digits in points.
The Tar Heels struggled a little bit with UNC Wilmington in the season opener, winning 69-56 as a 23.5-point favorite as the Under connected. UNC had some shooting woes, hitting at just 46% (22 of 48) from the field, including a dismal 2 of 10 from downtown.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
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Charleston at North Carolina odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:18 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Charleston +1100 (bet $100 to win $1,100) | North Carolina -3000 (et $3,000 to win $100
- Against the spread (ATS): Charleston +21.5 (-115) | North Carolina -21.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 159.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
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Charleston at North Carolina picks and predictions
Prediction
North Carolina 83, Charleston 69
Moneyline
PASS. Nothing here worth pursuing.
Against the spread
CHARLESTON +21.5 (-115) looked good taking care of business against Chattanooga in the opener. Sure, the Mocs aren’t the No. 1 team in the land like North Carolina -21.5 (-105), but they’re a strong mid-level program, and a nice opening test.
In fact, the Cougars were certainly much more impressive in their game than the Tar Heels were in their opening battle.
Over the years, Charleston has been a thorn in the side of UNC, too, cashing in 3 of the last 4 meetings since 2010, including an outright win in 2010.
Over/Under
LEAN UNDER 159.5 (-108).
Yes, UNC is the top-ranked team in the country, and we still don’t have a great sample size for the current version of either team. But UNC really struggled with its shooting in the opener at the Dean Dome. While the Heels should be better offensively, it’s unlikely they’ll flirt with 90 or more points.
Charleston also played a good brand of defense against Chattanooga, and it was good, but not great, on offense. Under is the lean, but it’s not a terribly strong one, so go lightly and let’s feel this one out a bit before going heavier later when we get more info on these clubs.
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