North Carolina vs. Kansas: Picks, Predictions and Odds

Two-time All-American Kansas center Hunter Dickinson and returning All-American North Carolina guard RJ Davis lead their teams in a head-to-head clash between top-10 programs and Wooden Award candidates on Friday night.

The top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks and No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels each had disappointing ends to their respective seasons in 2023/24.

Both Kansas coach Bill Self and UNC coach Hubert Davis view this game as an opportunity to build some early-season momentum with a win over a fellow National Championship contender.

North Carolina vs. Kansas betting picks and predictions

Kansas -7.0 (-115)

Both the Tar Heels and Jayhawks have legitimate Final Four aspirations. They’re also both coming off disappointing postseason exits.

These two blue-blood programs last faced each other in April 2022, when Kansas defeated North Carolina 72-69 in the NCAA Tournament National Championship game. That was the last trip to the final for either team.

Kansas leads the all-time series 11-7. The Jayhawks are second and the Tar Heels are third in NCAA history in all-time wins, while UNC is second in win percentage with Kansas in third.

The Tar Heels won 29 games and an outright ACC title last year, earning its first No. 1 seed in the tournament since 2019.

However, the team was upset in the Sweet 16 by No. 4 seed Alabama. Kansas fared even worse, going 23-11 before Gonzaga beat them by 21 points in the second round.

To start this season, the Jayhawks had an easy time in their one game so far, an 87-57 victory over Howard on Monday.

Dickinson, the preseason Big-12 Player of the Year, led the team with 16 points and six rebounds as coach Bill Self was able to empty his bench in the blowout. Highly-touted freshman Flory Bidunga accounted for 13 points and eight rebounds.

The Tar Heels beat Elon 90-79 on Monday and Davis, the favorite to repeat as ACC Player of the Year, had 24 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

Elliott Cadeau added 17 points and eight assists as four North Carolina starters reached double digits.

Both teams did what they were supposed to do in those opening games. This matchup, however, will highlight Kansas’ newfound depth.

After last year’s 11-loss campaign, Self moved to shore up both his starting lineup and his bench. He added accomplished transfers including AJ Storr (Wisconsin, 16.8 ppg last year), Shakeel Moore (Mississippi State, 7.9 ppg), Rylen Griffen (Alabama, 11.2 ppg), and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota St., 18.8 ppg).

In addition to Dickinson, standout players Dajuan Harris Jr and KJ Adams Jr. return this season, and freshmen Bidunga and Rakease Passmore complete this stout rotation.

North Carolina counters with Davis, Cadeau, Jae’Lyn Withers (10 points, 10 rebounds versus Elon), Seth Trimble (15 points) and Jalen Washington (8 points) in a solid starting five.

Off the bench, transfers Ven-Allen Lubin (Vanderbilt) and Cade Tyson (Belmont) combine with touted freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell.

This matchup should provide plenty of entertainment for die-hards looking for a marquee contest in early November, but Kansas is just too deep and, with the game at Allen Fieldhouse, look for the Jayhawks to feed off the crowd and cover that seven-point spread.

Over 160.5 Total Points (-110)

Both schools are already popping offensively. Granted, those impressive opening game tallies came against overmatched opponents, but the stars came out shining.

Despite a significant increase in defensive talent on either side, look for those trends on offense to continue Friday night. This early in the season, both coaches will allow for a bit more back-and-forth action.

With more subbing, there is less of a chance for one side to get locked in defensively.

Look for this contest to go Over the 160-point total.

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North Carolina vs. Kansas odds

North Carolina	+310
Kansas	-390
Spread	Kansas -7.0
Total Points	O/U 160.5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.