VW'S CBB CONFERENCE GAME OF THE MONTH
- Handicapper
- Vegas Writer
- League
- NCAAB
- Competition
- Syracuse vs North Carolina
- Release Date
- 02/02/2026 01:27 PM
- Event Date
- 02/02/2026 07:00 PM
- Bet Type
- Point Spread
- Pick
-
North Carolina -11.5 (-105)
(BetMGM)
- Outcome
- Loss
- Analysis
- At 5-3 in ACC play, the North Carolina Tar Heels have some work to do if they want to earn a double-bye in next month's conference tournament. They're one-half game behind fifth-place Miami and 1.5 games behind Virginia and NC State.
Tonight shouldn't be an issues, as I suspect the Heels will make quick work of the Syracuse Orange, who are 13-9 overall, but just 4-5 in league play. And while Syracuse has enjoyed homecourt advantage all year, with an 11-4 mark in their Dome, they're 2-5 away from Northern New York.
This is never an easy trip, and when you consider the Heels (17-4) are a perfect 12-0 in Chapel Hill this season, it's hard to believe 'Cuse will hang in this game. Part of that perfect mark is a 3-0 home record against ACC foes.
The Heels have a high-powered offense that averages 83 points per game and can get to 90 on any given night. More importantly, they're winning games by 12.7 points per game - 37th nationally - and succeed with so many metrics.
They hold teams to 40.1% shooting (29th), they only commit 14.7 fouls per contest (15th), they rank 44th with a rebound margin of plus-6.1 and their assist-to-turnover ratio ranks ninth in the country (plus-1.82).
North Carolina is on a mini-heater right now, having won three straight while averaging 89.0 points per game on 48.3% shooting, including 35.6% from long-range.
As for Syracuse, it did just snap a four-game skid with an 86-72 home win against Notre Dame, but now the Orange face a team that has won four of the last five meetings. And with the 'Cuse struggling on the boards, I don't know if they can avoid North Carolina's potent scoring runs.
Lay the points.
