Kansas vs. North Carolina prediction, odds: College basketball picks today from proven model

The blue blood programs face off when the 19th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks take on the No. 25 North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday night. Kansas opened its season with a 94-51 loss to Green Bay, while UNC cruised past Central Arkansas 94-54. The Jayhawks (1-0), who finished sixth in the Big 12 last season with an 11-9 record and 21-13 overall, were 4-4 against ranked opponents a year ago. The Tar Heels (1-0), who were tied for fourth in the ACC with a 13-7 record and 23-14 overall, were just 1-8 against ranked opponents in 2024-25.

The news from the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 7-6, including a 92-89 win at Kansas last year. North Carolina is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest North Carolina vs. Kansas odds from the SportsLine consensus, while the over/under in total points scored is 157.5. Before making any Kansas vs. North Carolina picks, check out 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 generated more than $2,200 in betting profits for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks over the past three seasons. Anyone following his college basketball betting tips at sports betting and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Today, 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 now head over to SportsLine to see the model’s choices. Here are several men’s college basketball odds and men’s college basketball betting lines for UNC vs. Kansas:

Why North Carolina can cover

Freshman forward Caleb Wilson is off to a fast start to his college 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 for a North Carolina freshman making their debut since first-year players became eligible in 1972-73. He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists.

Junior guard Kyan Evans scored 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 last two years at Colorado State. In 36 games last season across all starts, he averaged 20.6 points with 3.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 28.2 minutes. Find out which team to support on SportsLine.

Why Kansas can cover

Sophomore forward Flory Bidunga had a strong performance in Game 1, 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 69.8% field goal percentage. He is a McDonald’s All-American, a two-time Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year. A year ago, he played in 34 games, made six starts and averaged 5.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 16.3 minutes.

Highly recruited freshman guard Darryn Peterson scored 21 points against Green Bay. He made 7 of 11 shots from the floor, including 3 of 7 from 3-point range. He was the 2026 Big 12 Preseason Freshman and was a unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection by the league’s coaches. He was the 2025 Naismith Trophy High School Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American. Find out which team to support on 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 152 combined points. The model also indicates that one side hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s men’s college basketball picks.

So who does North Carolina win against Kansas, and which side of the spread reaches nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which way Kansas vs. North Carolina was stretched, the entire forward model was profitable on the top-ranked college basketball picks last season, and find out.