#16 North Carolina vs. #18 Kentucky Picks and Predictions: Tar Heels Storm into Rupp

|
Kyan Evans leads the Tar Heels with 4.4 assists per game - North Carolina Kentucky Picks

The ACC/SEC Challenge continues, and although these teams aren’t ranked as high as Florida and Duke who battle tonight, this is still a great matchup. Two top 20 teams go head to head at Rupp Arena as the No. 18 Kentucky Wildcats host the No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels. Both teams have moved on from their long time head coaches (John Calipari and Roy Williams), and now a new era is here with these two blue bloods. Let’s dive into our favorite picks as Mark Pope and Hubert Davis meet in Lexington.

More NCAA Basketball Coverage

NCAA Basketball Conference Previews

Go check out what else I’ve got on my daily card, and view the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks.

#16 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. #18 Kentucky Wildcats NCAA Basketball Insights

Both of these teams have been off to good starts, but one might not be as great as the other. Kentucky is 5-2 on the season, and they are 5-0 at home. Point Wildcats for having the home court advantage tonight. However, they lost on the road to Louisville and against Michigan State in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden. So when they played a team that was worth something, they failed to show up. They’ve been shorthanded all year, and that won’t be changing tonight.

North Carolina lost to that same Michigan State team on Thanksgiving in Fort Myers after winning their first six of the season. This includes a win over the Kansas Jayhawks at home, however this will be the Tar Heels first true road game, and Rupp is a scary place to play. Do they have what it takes to beat the Wildcats at home?

Matchup Information – North Carolina vs. Kentucky – December 2

  • Venue & Location: Rupp Arena (Lexington, KY)
  • Date: Tuesday, December 2, 2025
  • Kick Off: 9:30 p.m. Eastern
  • Broadcast: ESPN

North Carolina vs. Kentucky Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of December 2, 2025 at 10:17 a.m. eastern. Sign up today with Promo Code BNBOL55 for a 55% deposit bonus. BetOnline offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

  • North Carolina +6 (-110)
  • Kentucky -6 (-110)

Moneyline

  • North Carolina +211
  • Kentucky -255

Total

  • Over 164.5 (-107)
  • Under 164.5 (-113)

I saw this over at 161 last night and am really kicking myself for not taking it. Both teams have great offenses and love to run, ranking top 75 in possessions per game. Neither team is all that great at forcing turnovers, but they defend well, so each offense shouldn’t have a problem getting a shot off, even if it’s contested.

With that being said, I still endorse the over, but I will be putting my coin on the underdog on the road.

#16 North Carolina vs. #18 Kentucky NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions

The Tar Heels will need a big game from their freshman leading scorer tonight - North Carolina Kentucky Picks

The Tar Heels will need a big game from their freshman leading scorer tonight

North Carolina vs. Kentucky Prediction: North Carolina Wins Outright, Over 164.5

Best Bet: North Carolina +6 (-110) BetOnline

You can get better numbers than I did, cause I am sitting with +5.5 (-112) with a half unit sprinkle on the moneyline at (+205) as well. The Tar Heels win this game. Betting on a road underdog against a top 20 opponent in their first true away game is a little scary, but here me out. Kentucky is without three huge players tonight.

They have been without Jayden Quaintance all season long, and that won’t change. He continues to sit on the bench, leaving Wildcat fans waiting for his debut. However, they will also be missing Jaland Lowe and Mouhamed Dioubate. Lowe has only played two games, so the Wildcats are used to him being out, and they haven’t had Dioubate since the Champions Classic. Even if I was a “buy the bad news” guy, that’s too much for me.

The Wildcats will have to lean on Malachi Moreno, Brandon Garrison and Andrija Jelavić to lead their front court, which will have a tough time competing with the Tar Heels. Caleb Wilson is going to be a matchup nightmare without Dioubate on him, and overall I like the way this Carolina team has been playing. The Wildcats also have to turn around and host Gonzaga in three days, making me like the Tar Heels even more.

Still Didn’t Get Your NCAA Basketball Fix?

Here at Betting News, we offer Free Expert Picks for every major sports league. We also host daily streams on our Twitch Channel with our best bets, as well as sweat out games on Playback! Be sure to tune into everything we have going on at our Youtube, TikTok, and X pages as well, and follow my personal twitter @Shaggy_Bets for my full daily card.

Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly

Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER

Check Out All of Our Betting Resources at Betting News