Virginia vs. North Carolina betting: College basketball preview for Jan. 24

Data Skrive
Data Skrive

The No. 14 Virginia Cavaliers (16-2, 5-1 ACC) host the No. 22 North Carolina Tar Heels (15-4, 3-3 ACC) after winning seven straight home games. The Cavaliers are favored by 6.5 points in the matchup, which tips at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 24, 2026. The matchup’s point total is 150.5.

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Spread

Virginia Cover -6.5 vs North Carolina -113

Bet $20, Payout $37.70

Virginia vs. North Carolina betting lines

  • Virginia moneyline odds to win: -297
  • North Carolina moneyline odds to win: +239
  • Spread: Virginia (-6.5)
  • Total: 150.5

Virginia statistics, trends and more

As the home team

  • Virginia has done a better job covering the spread when playing on the road (4-1-0) than it has at home (6-4-0).
  • When it comes to over/unders, the Cavaliers hit the over less often when playing at home, as they’ve eclipsed the total three times in 10 opportunities this season (30%). In road games, they have hit the over two times in five opportunities (40%).
  • As a moneyline favorite, Virginia has won a higher percentage of its home games (1.000) compared to away games (.500).

Recent trends

  • On offense, the Cavaliers have had a tough time putting the ball in the basket over their last 10 games, scoring 81.1 points per contest over that span compared to the 84.0 they’ve put up over the course of this season.
  • Virginia has been more stingy on defense as of late, giving up 66.5 points per game during its past 10 contests compared to the 67.1 points per game its opponents average in the 2025-26 season.
  • The Cavaliers are trending down from deep during their last 10 outings, making 10.5 threes per game and shooting 36.5% from long range in comparison to their season-long averages of 10.6 makes and 37.1% from distance in the 2025-26 season.

Virginia betting records this season

  • ATS Record: 12-6-0 (Home: 6-4-0; Away: 4-1-0)
  • ATS Record When Favored by 6.5+: 6-5-0 (As Favorite: 9-6-0; As Underdog: 3-0-0)
  • O-U-P: 7-11-0 (Home: 3-7-0; Away: 2-3-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Favorite: 11-2 (Home: 8-0; Away: 1-1)
  • Record When Moneyline Underdog: 3-0 (Home: 0-0; Away: 3-0)
Field Goal % Opp. Field Goal % Rebounds Opp. Rebounds Assists Turnovers
47.4 (73rd in nation) 38.1 (fourth) 38.4 (14th) 29.3 (85th) 17.4 (36th) 10.5 (107th)

Need to know more about sports betting before you put down a wager on Virginia vs. North Carolina? Here’s everything you need to know about how to bet.

North Carolina statistics, trends and more

As the away team

  • This season, North Carolina is 7-5-0 at home against the spread (.583 winning percentage). On the road, it is 1-3-0 ATS (.250).
  • In terms of the over/under, Tar Heels games have finished over five of 12 times at home (41.7%), and three of four away (75%).

Recent trends

  • The Tar Heels are posting 83.5 points per game over their past 10 games, compared to their season average of 82.4.
  • North Carolina has performed worse defensively over its previous 10 games, allowing 73.6 points per contest, 4.1 more points than its season average of 69.5.
  • The Tar Heels are draining 9.4 three-pointers per contest with a 36.2% three-point percentage over their last 10 games, compared to their season averages of 8.7 and 34.1%.

North Carolina betting records this season

  • ATS Record: 9-10-0 (Home: 7-5-0; Away: 1-3-0)
  • ATS Record When Underdog by 6.5+: 1-0-0 (As Favorite: 8-9-0; As Underdog: 1-1-0)
  • O-U-P: 9-10-0 (Home: 5-7-0; Away: 3-1-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Favorite: 13-2 (Home: 11-0; Away: 0-2)
  • Record When Moneyline Underdog: 1-2 (Home: 0-0; Away: 1-1)
Field Goal % Opp. Field Goal % Rebounds Opp. Rebounds Assists Turnovers
48.2 (46th in nation) 39.6 (26th) 37.3 (24th) 28.8 (63rd) 17.0 (47th) 10.1 (68th)
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