UNC vs. Virginia Predictions: North Carolina Looks To Finish Strong Predictions, Odds & Picks

On Saturday, February 24, the North Carolina Tar Heels will play their first game since February 17. For the Virginia Cavaliers, they last suited up on February 19. 

The Tar Heels are coming off a double-digit home win over the Virginia Tech Hokies. At the same time, the Cavaliers lost massively to those same Hokies on the road, 75-41. 

Here, the Tar Heels are on the road against a Cavaliers team that’s 14-1 at home. 

Let’s dig into this matchup more below.

UNC vs. Virginia Betting Odds for Saturday, Feb. 24

This February 24 matchup is the first between the Tar Hels and Cavaliers this season. The last time these teams played was the ACC Tournament last season, where the Cavaliers secured a 68-59 win. 

On the road, the Tar Heels are 6-2 but also 12-3 in the conference. 

In their last home game, the Cavaliers beat Wake Forest by a slim margin of 49-47. 

Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Get $150 in bonus bets when you wager $5 on a winning bet.

Entering this matchup, the Cavaliers offense has been struggling, scoring less than 50 points in back-to-back games and averaging just 51 over their last three while posting a 1-2 record. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels are 2-1 in their last three, averaging 83 per game. 

While they’re 2-1, one of the wins was a dicey 75-72 win against Miami, a loss on the road to Syracuse by four, and a 15-point win at home over Virginia Tech. 

One player to (obviously) watch for is Armando Bacot. Of course, these are different circumstances, but he’s had big games against Virginia in the past, including a double-double in which he scored nearly 30 and had 22 rebounds. That was during the 2021-22 season. 

The Tar Heels are also led by RJ Davis. He’s averaging 21.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He’s scored 20 or more in three of his last five games. 

As is the case with any Tar Heels opponent, the question remains—who will stop Bacot? 

The Cavaliers have Jordan Minor and Blake Buchanan, but neither boast the rebounding potential Bacot has. 

Davis will have his work cut out for him here, going up against another top guard in the nation in Reece Beekman, who’s also a fantastic defender. 

UNC vs Virginia Prediction and Betting Pick

As the spread above shows, this will likely be a closer game with the Tar Heels on the road here. However, Virginia has more questions than answers, especially over their last few games.

While Davis and Beekman will be an excellent head-to-head matchup, expect a massive game from Bacot here as the Cavaliers struggle to find an answer. 

The woes continue for the Cavaliers here, who are also 3-3 against the spread when coming off a loss. 

• UNC vs. Virginia Pick: UNC -2.5 (-104) at FanDuel Sportsbook

How to Watch UNC vs Virginia 

• When: Saturday, Feb. 24 @ 4:00 PM ET

• Where: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia

• TV: ESPN

• Streaming: fuboTV, ESPN+

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