North Carolina vs. Indiana College Basketball Picks, Predictions: Can Tar Heels Find Rhythm?
After back-to-back losses, the former No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels are now underdogs at the 10th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers. Read on for our top North Carolina-Indiana picks.
The season is not off to the start that the Tar Heels hoped for. They entered the year as the No. 1 team in the nation, yet they are no 5-2 and ranked 18th in the country. They have dropped consecutive games to the Iowa State Cyclones and the Alabama Crimson Tide, and they will now face a tough matchup with Indiana.
Meanwhile, the Hoosiers are 6-0 and ranked 10th in the country, but they have yet to face a ranked opponent this year. Their best win to this point is an 81-79 victory over the Xavier Musketeers.
Here are our top picks for the college basketball matchup between North Carolina and Indiana (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook and BetMGM; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
North Carolina vs. Indiana Game Info
Date: Wednesday,
Nov. 30, 9:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly
Hall, Bloomington, IN
North Carolina vs. Indiana Odds
North Carolina vs. Indiana Odds Analysis
After Oddsmakers opened the total at 143.5, the number has consistently gone up. It now ranges from 147.5 to 148.5 at the major sportsbooks, and it is likely that it will continue to go up since these teams are averaging so many points this season.
As for the spread, the Hoosiers opened as 4.5-point favorites. The number went all the way up to 5.5 at BetMGM, but it has since settled back to 4.5 points.
North Carolina vs. Indiana Picks
- Spread: North Carolina +4.5 (-115 via BetMGM)
- Over/Under: Over 147.5 (-115 via BetMGM)
- Prop bet: North Carolina Over 72.5 (-110 via DraftKings)
North Carolina vs. Indiana ATS Pick
North Carolina +4.5 (-110) ★★★★
This line feels a little unfair to the Tar Heels. Indiana is a good basketball team and has home-court advantage, but had North Carolina managed to beat Alabama in four overtimes, would this line be reversed?
The Tar Heels have definitely had some questionable performances to start the year, including single-digit wins over the Gardner Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs and Portland Pilots. Yet, they showed what they can do against one of the best teams in the country on Sunday. Even though they lost, they played the Crimson Tide to four overtimes.
It seems this is a case of the Tar Heels playing to their competition. That means they should have a solid game against Indiana. And if they don’t, then maybe it’s time to start taking Indiana seriously. But as of now, it hasn’t done anything that warrants support from bettors.
North Carolina vs. Indiana O/U Pick
Over 147.5 (-115) ★★★
These two offenses score a lot of points, even if they have primarily done so against weaker opponents. The Tar Heels are averaging 82.6 points per game, while the Hoosiers are averaging 88.8.
Perhaps this number is so low because the Hoosiers are allowing less than 60 points per game, and the Tar Heels are shooting only 46.5% from the floor. But as stated earlier, the Hoosiers have played nobody.
The Tar Heels have been subject to lower scoring games, such as their results against Iowa State and Gardner Webb, but it should not be difficult for both of these teams to get into the 70s on Wednesday night.
North Carolina vs. Indiana Prop Pick
North Carolina Over 72.5 (-110) ★★★
The Tar Heels have hit 72 or more points in all but two of their games this season. In their last game against Alabama, they scored 77 in regulation before hitting 101 after four overtimes.
The Hoosiers have allowed more than 70 points only once this season, but that also came in their game against Xavier. It’s hard to know what their other results mean at this point since all their games were against small schools that aren’t going to make much noise in college basketball this season.
Just because the preseason No. 1 team is off to a rough start doesn’t mean it should be completely written off in November. The Tar Heels have the ability to score with anyone, and they’re going to do that on Wednesday.
Where to Bet on North Carolina-Indiana Picks
Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:
North Carolina-Indiana picks made 11/30/2022 at 10:18 a.m. ET.
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