Virginia Cavaliers vs North Carolina Tar Heels Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 02/22/25

The North Carolina Tar Heels will be looking to extend their winning streak to 3 games when they host the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon. North Carolina is coming off consecutive victories over Syracuse and N.C. State in which it scored 88 and 97 points, respectively. Lightning up the scoreboard is commonplace for this UNC program and the 2024-25 iteration is no exception. The Tar Heels are #39 in the nation in scoring with an average of 80.9 points per game. They are #27 in pace of play (possessions per game), so their games are generally high scoring even if the shooting percentages aren’t off the charts. Four different guys are averaging double-figures and RJ Davis (17.5 ppg) has scored at least 18 points in 3 of the last 4 outings. He has delivered at least 21 points in 3 of the last 8.

These are not your grandfather’s Cavaliers. In fact, they aren’t even your older brother’s Cavaliers. It wasn’t long ago that Virginia played the slowest basketball and the best defense in the nation, but that version of the Washoos is long gone now that former head coach Tony Bennett has departed. This year’s UVA squad doesn’t play very good defense, but at the same time it can actually put the ball in the hoop on offense. The ‘Hoos have scored more than 70 points in 5 of their past 6 contests; they gave up 80 to Duke earlier this week and have allowed more than that on 2 other occasions dating back to mid-January. Isaac McKneely (13.7 ppg) has exceeded his average in 7 of the last 8 outings. Playing inside the Dean Dome, North Carolina should be able to control the game and make it a borderline track meet. The Cavaliers probably can’t quite keep up, but at the same time they won’t turn into a boring slog like they would have made sure to do in previous years. I’m backing the over with confidence.

Virginia vs North Carolina prediction: Over 143 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable to 145.

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