Blue-blood programs clash when the 19th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks face the No. 25 North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday night. Kansas opened its season with a 94-51 thrashing of Green Bay, while UNC cruised past Central Arkansas 94-54. The Jayhawks (1-0), who finished sixth in the Big 12 last season at 11-9 and were 21-13 overall, were 4-4 against ranked opponents a year ago. The Tar Heels (1-0), who tied for fourth in the ACC at 13-7 and were 23-14 overall, were just 1-8 against ranked foes in 2024-25.
Tipoff from the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., is set for 7 p.m. ET. UNC is a 2.5-point favorite in the la…
Blue-blood programs clash when the 19th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks face the No. 25 North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday night. Kansas opened its season with a 94-51 thrashing of Green Bay, while UNC cruised past Central Arkansas 94-54. The Jayhawks (1-0), who finished sixth in the Big 12 last season at 11-9 and were 21-13 overall, were 4-4 against ranked opponents a year ago. The Tar Heels (1-0), who tied for fourth in the ACC at 13-7 and were 23-14 overall, were just 1-8 against ranked foes in 2024-25.
Tipoff from the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., is set for 7 p.m. ET. UNC is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest North Carolina vs. Kansas odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 158.5. Before making any Kansas vs. North Carolina picks, check out the men’s college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times and has returned over $2,200 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated college basketballpicks over the past three seasons. Anyone following its college basketballbetting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Now, the model has simulated Kansas vs. North Carolina 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted men’s college basketball picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several men’s college basketball odds and men’s college basketball betting lines for UNC vs. Kansas:
| Kansas vs. North Carolina spread: | North Carolina -2.5 |
| Kansas vs. North Carolina over/under: | 158.5 points |
| Kansas vs. North Carolina money line: | North Carolina -143, Kansas +120 |
| Kansas vs. North Carolina picks: | See picks at SportsLine |
| Kansas vs. North Carolina streaming: | Fubo (Try for free) |
Why North Carolina can cover
Freshman forward Caleb Wilson is off to a fast start to his collegiate career. He connected on 8 of 10 field goal attempts and led all scorers with 22 points in the win over Central Arkansas. The 22 points were the fourth-most by a North Carolina freshman making his debut since first-year players became eligible in 1972-73. He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists.
Junior guard Kyan Evans poured in 15 points in the season opener, adding six rebounds, five assists and four steals in 25 minutes. He was 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Evans is in his first year with the program after spending the past two years at Colorado State. In 36 games last season, all starts, he averaged 20.6 points with 3.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 28.2 minutes. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Kansas can cover
Sophomore forward Flory Bidunga had a solid performance in the opener, scoring 23 points, while adding six rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes against Green Bay. Bidunga led the Jayhawks with 54 blocked shots in 2024-25, and was first on the Kansas freshman list with a field goal percentage of 69.8%. He is a McDonald’s All-American, who was a two-time Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year. He played in 34 games a year ago, making six starts, and averaged 5.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 16.3 minutes.
Highly-recruited freshman guard Darryn Peterson poured in 21 points against Green Bay. He connected on 7 of 11 shots from the floor, including 3 of 7 from 3-point range. He was the 2026 Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous selection for Preseason All-Big 12 by league coaches. He was the 2025 Naismith Trophy High School Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American. See which team to back at SportsLine.
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How to make Kansas vs. North Carolina picks
SportsLine’s model has simulated Kansas vs. North Carolina 10,000 times and is leaning Under the total, projecting 151 combined points. The model also says one side is the better value. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s men’s college basketball picks.
So who wins North Carolina vs. Kansas, and which side of the spread is a better value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Kansas vs. North Carolina spread to back, all from the advanced model was profitable on top-ranked college basketball picks last season, and find out.