College basketball will host its second top-10 deciding game of the year on Friday. The 9th place North Carolina Tar Heels will face off against the 1st place Kansas Jayhawks.
If it didn't feel like college basketball was back before, it definitely is now.
Can the Tar Heels storm into Allen Fieldhouse and defeat the best team in college basketball?
North Carolina vs. Kansas State odds
| team | spread | money line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| north carolina | +7.5 (-105) | +260 | 159.5 or higher (-115) |
| Kansas | -7.5 (-115) | -350 | Less than 159.5 (-105) |
North Carolina vs. Kansas State predictions
(7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The line for this showdown between two powerhouse programs started at 7 points in favor of the Jayhawks, but then widened to a 7.5 point spread.
The widening of the spread could be partially due to North Carolina's underwhelming performance against Elon.
The Tar Heels won their home opener against Elon by just 14 points, but shot a lower percentage from the field and from 3-point land than Phoenix.
The only reason UNC was able to win was its ball security (10 fewer turnovers) and perimeter personnel.
Kansas, on the other hand, advanced by defeating Howard by 30 points, even though their starting pitchers played about half of the game.
The Jayhawks underwent surgery. They shot 60% from the floor and 50% from behind the arc.
Head coach Bill Self certainly hopes Kansas can work out its turnovers, but overall they looked much more prepared for the season than North Carolina.
North Carolina vs. Kansas State Nominations
Frankly, this game could end just like the Baylor vs. Gonzaga game.
Kansas has a huge advantage over the Tar Heels in terms of cohesion and chemistry, as they were one of the few teams without a player to hit the portal.
Additionally, the Jayhawks have a significant advantage in frontcourt size and depth, with UNC fielding 6-foot-10 Jaylen Washington, who averaged eight minutes last season, and 7-foot-2 They will look to protect Naismith's front-runner Hunter Dickinson.
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If Washington gets into foul trouble (which seems very likely given Dickinson's athleticism in the paint), the Heels will have to rely on 6-foot-9 forward Jaelin Withers. It won't happen.
Rebounding is also a big concern. The Tar Heels have just three more rebounds than Elon and currently rank 272nd in KenPom's adjusted efficiency margin.
The Tar Heels will likely rely on their trio of perimeter stars in Cado, Davis and Trimble for many games this season. However, they will struggle against teams with similar talent but with more physically dominant frontcourts.
This is one of those games.
Pick: Kansas -7.5 (-115, Caesars)
Why trust New York Post Betting?
Andrew Norton has handicapped the NBA, WNBA, NFL, College Basketball, Football, UFC, and Golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he delivered an outstanding ROI of 14.1%, cashed in 60% of his NBA spread picks, and led Tallysight in SportsIQ metrics.
