Kris Johnson iGaming Journalist
Kris Johnson is a Charlotte-based deputy editor. He joined CasinoBeats in July 2025 and oversees the daily news flow of editing and publishing. Kris also reports on all aspects of the gambling industry with a...
Read Full BioThe North Carolina Tar Heels meet the Miami Hurricanes in an ACC basketball showdown tonight in Coral Gables, Florida. Tipoff on ESPN is set for 7 p.m. ET.
North Carolina (19-4 SU, 13-10) is coming off a last-second victory over rival Duke on Saturday. Miami (18-5 SU, 10-11-1 ATS) defeated Boston College, 74-68, in its last time out.
DraftKings is dealing the Tar Heels as a slight 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 156.5 as of publication. 72% of the spread handle and 79% of tickets are on North Carolina.
Best Bet North Carolina vs. Miami: Against the Spread
North Carolina needed every bit of grit and energy to complete its 71-68 comeback win over Duke. UNC rallied from 13 points down in the second half. The Tar Heels never led until Seth Trimble‘s last-gasp 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left.
North Carolina needs to come down from that high on short rest against a good Miami team. Caleb Wilson, who finished with 23 points against Duke, leads the Tar Heels with 20.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Per BartTorvik.com, Wilson leads the country with 66 dunks this season.
Henri Veesaar joins Wilson to form one of the country’s best frontcourts. The 7-foot center averages 16.6 ppg and 9.1 rpg. It’s been Trimble’s resurgence, though, that has keyed UNC’s success of late. The senior guard, who averages 14.2 ppg, has been a galvanizing force after coming back from a broken arm early in the season.
Miami counters with Malik Reneau (20 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Ernest Udeh (6.9 ppg, 9.6 rbg), who will give Wilson and Veesaar all they want in the paint. The Hurricanes are one of the country’s top rebounding teams, ranking 11th nationally with a 56.5% rebound rate.
Duke out-rebounded UNC, 34-25. If Miami controls the boards, it will go a long way toward an upset win tonight. UNC’s potential emotional hangover from the win over Duke could also play a factor.
Pick: Miami +1.5/Miami +105 on Moneyline
Best Player Prop for Miami Hurricanes
Shelton Henderson OVER 15.5 Points (-120 at FanDuel)
Shelton Henderson‘s offensive growth has been on full display recently. While Reneau led Miami with 23 points against BC last time out, Henderson finished with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Henderson has exceeded this number of points in seven of his last eight games.
Best Player Prop for North Carolina Tar Heels
Henri Veesaar OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (+146 at FanDuel)
Veesaar’s skill set includes solid marksmanship from 3-point range. Udeh will likely shadow Carolina’s big man in the paint, but Veesaar is a tough matchup on the perimeter. He’s had eight games with multiple 3-pointers this season, and this one projects nicely as the ninth.
