North Carolina vs Oklahoma Prediction, Odds and Picks - Dec. 20 | College Basketball Season 2023-24
The Oklahoma Sooners (10-0) are set to lock horns with the North Carolina Tar Heels (7-3) at Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Wednesday night. The teams clash in the Jumpman Invitational, with tip-off set for 9 p.m. ET.
North Carolina has endured back-to-back defeats to national title contenders UConn and Kentucky over the past week.
Oklahoma enters the matchup undefeated, already notching marquee wins over ranked opponents in Southern California and a talented Arkansas squad. The Sooners have rolled through the start of their season and look to keep momentum against North Carolina.
North Carolina vs Oklahoma Prediction
On the heels of an 87-76 loss to #5 UConn, North Carolina came up just short again against #14 Kentucky. Despite keeping pace with the Wildcats, costly miscues doomed the Tar Heels in an 87-83 defeat.
The victors dominated the glass by a 43-32 margin, including 18 offensive rebounds, fueling 15 extra field goal attempts overall - a pivotal difference in a tightly-contested four-point game. The Tar Heels had their chances but ultimately could not overcome critical disadvantages in rebounds and shot volume.
Though reeling from consecutive losses, North Carolina still boasts a potent offense averaging nearly 85 points per game. However, the Tar Heels face a stingy Oklahoma defense ranked 15th nationally, allowing just 61.3 points per contest.
The Sooners boast an offense that can match the offensively sound Tar Heels. Oklahoma averages 84.4 points per game (29th nationally) while shooting an efficient 51% from the field, just missing the top 10 in the NCAA.
Oklahoma continued their unbeaten run Saturday, trouncing Green Bay 81-47 at home for a seventh win this season by 20+ points. The Sooners’ 34-point thrashing of the Phoenix side was just the latest lopsided result for a team that has made blowouts commonplace, with an average winning margin of 22.1 points per game.
Oklahoma has only won two games by single-digit margins this season - a 72-70 victory over 23rd-ranked USC and a 9-point win against Arkansas.
When Oklahoma and North Carolina take the court, it will mark the first matchup between these historic programs in 14 years.
The undefeated Sooners are predicted to edge out the Tar Heels for the victory, with the game expected to end in a close 84-80 score in the Sooners’ favor.
North Carolina vs Oklahoma Betting Tips
Tip #1: The spread opened at just one point before moving to North Carolina as a 2.5-point favorite, settling at the Tar Heels as a 2-point favorite across most sportsbooks.
Tip #2: Oklahoma is a sharp 8-2 against the spread this season, including a perfect 3-0 when playing on neutral courts.
Tip #3: On the contrary, North Carolina sits at just 4-6 against the spread on the year and 2-3 against the spread in neutral site games so far.
Tip #4: With both squads featuring Top 30 scoring offenses, the over/under hasn’t surprisingly fallen under 153.5 points at any sportsbooks, even hitting 155 points at some.
Tip #5: The expectation is fast, high-scoring action that could come down to the final possessions.
North Carolina vs Oklahoma Head-to-Head
When North Carolina and Oklahoma take the court, it will mark the first-ever meeting between the two storied programs in their history.
Where to watch North Carolina vs Oklahoma
Fans can watch the highly anticipated North Carolina vs Oklahoma game by tuning into ESPN or streaming it through a FuboTV subscription, which also provides access to other top college matchups.