Kansas vs. North Carolina CBB Odds, Prediction, Picks for Friday, November 7

No. 25 North Carolina looks to end a five-game losing streak to No. 19 Kansas when the blue-blood programs tip off tonight at the Dean E. Smith Center. ESPN has live coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET.

Both teams are coming off blowout wins in their season opener. North Carolina (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) took down Central Arkansas 94-54, while Kansas (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) routed Green Bay 94-51. DraftKings is dealing the Tar Heels as a slight 2.5-point favorite with a total of 158.5. 66% of the spread handle and 50% of tickets are on North Carolina.

Most of America will get its first look at bona fide stars in Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson. Both were ranked as top-five recruits.

Kansas vs. North Carolina Best Bet: Against the Spread & Moneyline

UNC Tar Heels -2.5 (-110 at DraftKings) & UNC (-142 at DraftKings)

Wilson had a nice debut with 22 points in the win over Central Arkansas. UNC enjoys a distinct size advantage down low with the 6-foot-10 Wilson, 7-foot center Henri Veesaar, and fellow 6-foot-10 forward Jarin Stevenson all in the starting lineup.

Kansas counters with 6-foot-10 Flory Bidunga. He’ll need to step up offensively if UNC is able to limit Peterson. That’s a big if, though. Peterson is an NBA lottery pick waiting to happen. He recorded 21 points, four rebounds, and three assists against Green Bay.

UNC rates the edge as the better shooting team. Kansas must do a better job containing Veesaar, who scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting last year while playing for Arizona in the Big 12 Tournament. Seth Trimble is back for his senior season in Chapel Hill, and his veteran presence will help stabilize a team with so many new pieces.

It’s difficult to take much away from a one-game sample against lesser foes, and much will be revealed tonight. One thing is for sure: The Tar Heels will have a raucous home crowd behind them at the Dean Dome.

Last season, this early matchup took place at Allen Fieldhouse. Top-ranked Kansas used the home-crowd energy to build a 20-point lead, but UNC fought back to lose by just three, 92-89. Now, Kansas is playing at the Dean Dome for the first time ever.

Are we in for another nail-biter tonight? We’re betting on the Tar Heels to win outright AND by at least three this time around.

Best Player Prop for North Carolina Tar Heels

Henri Veesaar to Record 7+ Rebounds (-120) and 8+ Rebounds (+150) at DraftKings

Veesaar is a machine on the boards. He pulled down 10 rebounds against an overmatched Central Arkansas team. The 7-footer’s size advantage will only help our cause here.

Veesaar didn’t start for Arizona last season, but still averaged five rebounds a game. That was good for second on the team. We’re utilizing the “ladder” approach here by making two bets on his rebound total.

Best Player Prop for Kansas Jayhawks

Darryn Peterson OVER 20.5 Points (-102 at FanDuel)

Peterson is the co-betting favorite with Duke’s Cameron Boozer to win the Wooden Award, college basketball’s version of the Heisman Trophy. FanDuel is dealing both players at +700.

This will be his first true test in a hostile environment against a top-caliber team. Scoring 21 points (in 22 minutes) against Green Bay is one thing. If Kansas is to have a chance to win tonight, though, it’ll need a big scoring night from its superstar. He’s worth a small play at this number.