clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

How and what to watch for North Carolina vs. No. 9 Virginia

UVA is cruising atop the ACC standings and will be tested on Saturday by a surging Tar Heel squad.

By Nick Simon

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Virginia Cavaliers forward Jay Huff dunks against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second half at McCamish Pavilion. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 9 Virginia Cavaliers carved out themselves a nice, cozy spot atop the ACC standings and will look to keep their distance from the rest of the league when welcoming the surging North Carolina Tar Heels to Charlottesville for a Saturday evening showdown.

UVA (14-3, 10-1 ACC) brushed off their 65-51 road loss to rival Virginia Tech a few weeks ago by rattling off three straight victories, their latest a 57-49 victory at Georgia Tech on Wednesday. It was the second time they’ve held an ACC opponent under 50 points this season.

A top-15 team in both offensive and defensive adjusted efficiency per KenPom, the Cavs continue to squeeze the most of their possessions while limiting teams on both ends. They’re holding foes to just 28.4 rebounds per game and have the highest assist-to-turnover ratio in the league at 1.5.

Starting to come off the NCAA Tournament bubble heading into Saturday is UNC (12-6, 7-4), who have taken seven of their last nine contests including a thrilling 91-87 victory at Cameron Indoor over archrival Duke last Saturday. Freshman Caleb Love was the star of the show for the Tar Heels, putting up a season-high 25 points to go along with seven assists in the rivalry victory.

No. 40 in KenPom, Carolina’s strength has been dominating the glass. They are outrebounding opponents by 10.9 boards per game.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch North Carolina vs. Virginia on Saturday, February 11th at 6:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, or you can stream it via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login.If you don’t have a cable login to access the ESPN app, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream it.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Virginia -6
Point Total: 129
Money line: North Carolina +215, Virginia -275

  • Virginia is 6-4-1 against the spread in conference games this season and 9-7-1 overall. North Carolina is 4-7 ATS in conference games and 7-10-1 overall.
  • North Carolina is 1-4 ATS with a rest advantage, Virginia is 2-0 with a rest disadvantage.
  • Virginia is 4-4 against the spread at home, North Carolina is 2-6 on the road.
  • The Over has hit in 52.9% of Virginia’s games this season. The under has hit in 61.1% of North Carolina’s games.

The Best Bet

Considering UVA’s penchant for dictating games on the defensive end and North Carolina unders hitting more often than not, the under would be the play here as these two teams scrap it out.

Pick: Under 129

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/MI/PA/WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA) or Call or Text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789. 21+ (18+ NH). NJ/PA/WV/IA/IN/CO/IL/TN/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.

More From DraftKings Network