College Basketball Predictions: North Carolina vs. Portland 11/23/17

North Carolina vs. Portland Pick

Is No. 9 North Carolina going to blow out Portland this afternoon in a game that begins at 2:30PM ET?

According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, North Carolina is listed as a 26.5-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under will be released in the morning. The contest will be played at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. 

The Tar Heels come into action with a 3-0 overall record and 2-0 ATS after an 96-72 victory at Stanford. The Pilots are 2-1 overall and 0-1 ATS following an 86-59 home win over Oregon Tech. 

North Carolina has five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Luke Maye at 19.3 per game. Joel Berry II averages 18.5 points and 4.5 assists per contest. Josh McSwiggan paces Portland at 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds, while Franklin Porter contributes 11.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg. 

Berry led the Tar Heels with 29 points and three assists in the victory at Stanford, while Kenny Williams recorded 20 points along with four rebounds and three assists. Maye added 12 points, nine boards and five assists. North Carolina led 50-36 at halftime and shot 37-of-73 from the field for the game including 11-of-26 from 3-point range.

McSwiggan led the way with 16 points and seven rebounds in the win over Oregon Tech. Tahirou Diabate accounted for 13 points, six rebounds and three steals. Rashad Jackson added 13 points in 11 minutes off the bench. Portland led 41-26 at halftime and shot 29-of-60 from the floor.

The over is 11-5 in the last 16 North Carolina neutral site games. Portland is 7-19 ATS in its last 26 neutral site games.

Bet on North Carolina vs. Portland

The Pilots aren't a super talented team by any stretch, but the question here is how much energy the Tar Heels will have. They've been on the road all week and they are playing in the opponent's home city on the less than ideal playing date of Thanksgiving. And it's an afternoon game. This will be one of Portland's biggest games all season, while it's just a game where UNC can go through the motions. Take the Pilots to cover as huge underdogs.

CBB DAILY PREDICTION: PORTLAND +26.5

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