Wildcats vs. Tar Heels Prediction
Two of the most storied college basketball programs will meet this evening when the Kentucky Wildcats meet the North Carolina Wildcats in the CBS Sports Classic in Chicago. Are the Wildcats going to live up to their preseason billing with a huge win today?
Game Snapshot
689 Kentucky Wildcats vs. 690 North Carolina Tar Heels
Saturday, December 22, 2018
United Center at 5:15PM ET
TV: CBS
Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our College Basketball Odds & Betting Page.
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Tar Heels are a 2.5-point favorite on the spread line. The total sits at 166 points. As of Saturday morning, 52 percent of public bets are coming in on North Carolina. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Wildcats throttle Utes
Kentucky rebounded from a loss last Saturday as it dominated visiting Utah to the tune of 88-61. The Wildcats (8-2) led 41-27 en route to the win and shot 34-of-58 from the floor including 12-of-21 from 3-point range. Keldon Johnson paced UK with 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting including 6-of-7 from 3-point distance. He also pulled down two rebounds. Tyler Herro contributed 17 points, two boards and two steals. Reid Travis tallied 16 points and three rebounds. Immanuel Quickley added 12 points and two assists off the bench.
Tar Heels eclipse century mark
North Carolina raced to a 103-90 home victory last Saturday over Gonzaga to improve to 8-2 on the season. The Tar Heels led 53-39 at halftime and held off rally attempts by the Bulldogs after the break. Cameron Johnson paced UNC with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting including 6-of-8 from 3-point distance. He also dished out four assists and grabbed three rebounds. Luke Maye contributed 20 points and 16 rebounds. Coby White had 15 points and six assists. Seventh Woods added 14 points plus four rebounds and two steals in 17 minutes off the bench. The Tar Heels shot 35-of-64 from the floor in the win including 13-of-25 from 3-point range plus 20-of-25 at the charity stripe.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Kentucky
The Wildcats are 3-9-2 in the last 14 meetings. Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in its last five Saturday games.
North Carolina
The Tar Heels are 20-7-2 ATS in their last 29 games versus the Southeastern Conference. North Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last five neutral site games.
Prediction:
Kentucky has played two quality opponents this season and been throttled by Duke while losing in overtime to Seton Hall. While there is plenty of talent on the Wildcats, I like UNC’s resume a bit more and it has a couple veterans in Johnson and Maye who have been through the battles. I think the spread could be a point higher here. Take advantage and go with the Tar Heels.
NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS -2.5