North Carolina earned a No. 6 seed in the South Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and it’ll face No. 11 VCU in the first round. The Tar Heels are 2.5-point favorites, while the Rams are +120 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 154.5 points.
North Carolina vs. VCU opening odds
The Tar Heels could’ve earned a higher seed if not for injuries to their star freshman Caleb Wilson. The forward broke his left hand but was on track to return until he broke his right thumb. His college season is over after undergoing surgery. That’s a major blow to UNC, but it played relatively well without him. The Tar Heels went 5-3 to end the season, including a narrow defeat to Clemson in the ACC quarterfinals. The rest of the team will need to step up in Wilson’s absence as only the best squads are dancing.
VCU needed to win the A-10 to make March Madness, and it did just that. It defeated Dayton in the championship to claim the second straight conference title and third in four years. Experience is key in the NCAA Tournament, so returning players will certainly bring an edge to this roster. The Rams are also hot, having won 16 of their last 17 games. The only loss came against No. 18 Saint Louis, who is also in the NCAA Tournament.
