The 14th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (3-1) visit the third-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0) Tuesday as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the North Carolina-Iowa college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Rankings courtesy of USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Poll.
North Carolina at Iowa: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:20 a.m. ET.
- Money line: North Carolina +170 (bet $100 to win $170) | Iowa -209 (bet $209 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: North Carolina +4.5 (-110) | Iowa -4.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 155.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
North Carolina at Iowa: Three things to know
- North Carolina opened the season 3-0 before losing to Texas 69-67 last Wednesday in the Maui Invitational title game (played in Asheville, N.C.). The Tar Heels, who were 1-point dogs, lost on a Longhorns basket with 0.1 seconds left. F Garrison Brooks and G R.J. Davis are both averaging 12.3 points per game to lead the Heels. Brooks is the top rebounder with 8.5 rebounds per game.
- This will be Iowa’s first true test after routing a trio of cupcakes in North Carolina Central (97-67), Southern (103-76) and Western Illinois (99-58 last Thursday). C Luka Garza, the lone unanimous selection on the AP preseason All-American team, leads the country with 34.0 PPG. Last season’s Big Ten Player of the Year has scored at least 30 first-half points in his last two games. He scored 30 of his game-high 35 points in the opening half vs. Western Illinois, and he put up 36 of his 41 in the first 20 minutes against Southern. Garza, who is also averaging 9.7 rebounds per game, is complemented by F Jack Nunge, who averages 18.0 PPG.
- Iowa owns a 3-0 O/U record, averages 99.7 PPG and allows 67.0 PPG. UNC is 0-4 O/U with a 72.8 PPG scoring average, while yielding 60.8 PPG. The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series 3-1, taking the last matchup 60-55, upsetting the then-No. 12 Tar Heels Dec. 3, 2014.
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North Carolina at Iowa: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Iowa 75, North Carolina 67
Money line (ML)
PASS. Iowa will win, but a -209 bet is not worth the risk when we can make money on the spread (below).
Against the spread (ATS)
IOWA -4.5 (-110) is the way to go. If Carver-Hawkeye Arena were to be filled with fans, I’d hammer this play. Garza and Co. would feed off a raucous home crowd and deliver an impressive knockout. As we know, that’s not the case during these pandemic times.
North Carolina definitely will need to improve on its shooting from the Texas game: 1-for-9 on 3-pointers and 18-for-32 from the charity stripe. The Tar Heels will do their best to slow down Garza, but he will still lead the Hawkeyes to a nice victory for the Big Ten.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 155.5 (-110) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1.5 times your usual wager. Sure, Iowa is averaging 99.7 PPG, but that was against inferior talent. Through four games, North Carolina hasn’t allowed an opponent to score 70 or more points. I’d be surprised if the two combine for 150 points in this heavyweight matchup.
Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
| Johnny’s 2020 CBK record / Strongest plays | 0-0 / 0-0 |
| 2019-20 CBK record / Strongest plays | 5-3 / 5-0 |
| 2020 overall record (all sports) | 156-119-3 |
| Strongest plays (all sports) | 77-46-1 |
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