The No. 6 seed North Carolina Tar Heels (24-8) are a 2.5-point favorite in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against the No. 11 seed VCU Rams (27-7) on Thursday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The contest tips off at 6:50 p.m. ET on TNT. Here are insights into this South Region 6-11 matchup to help you fill out your bracket. The matchup has an over/under of 150.5 points.
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North Carolina Cover -2.5 vs VCU -110
North Carolina vs. VCU betting lines
- North Carolina moneyline odds to win: -143
- VCU moneyline odds to win: +117
- Spread: North Carolina (-2.5)
- Total: 150.5
North Carolina statistics, trends and more
Recent trends
- In their last 10 games, the Tar Heels have been putting up 72.4 points per contest, an average that’s much lower than the 79.8 they’ve scored over the course of the 2025-26 season.
- North Carolina has been less stingy on the defensive side of the ball as of late, giving up 72.9 points per game over its last 10 contests compared to the 71.3 points per game its opponents average in the 2025-26 season.
- The Tar Heels’ 8.4 made three-pointers per-game average in their past 10 games are less than the 8.6 they average on the season, but those 10 games have seen a higher percentage of three-point shots made, 34.6% compared to their season-long percentage of 34.5% from long distance.
North Carolina betting records this season
- ATS Record: 18-14-0 (Home: 11-7-0; Away: 5-5-0)
- ATS Record When Favored by 2.5+: 11-10-0 (As Favorite: 11-12-0; As Underdog: 7-2-0)
- O-U-P: 14-18-0 (Home: 7-11-0; Away: 5-5-0)
- Record When Moneyline Favorite: 18-3 (Home: 15-0; Away: 1-3)
- Record When Moneyline Underdog: 5-5 (Home: 2-0; Away: 3-3)
| Field Goal % | Opp. Field Goal % | Rebounds | Opp. Rebounds | Assists | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47.3 (57th in nation) | 41.8 (52nd) | 34.7 (52nd) | 30.1 (114th) | 15.9 (65th) | 9.5 (44th) |
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VCU statistics, trends and more
Recent trends
- In their last 10 games, the Rams are averaging 75.7 points per contest, 5.9 fewer points than their season average (81.6).
- While VCU is giving up 71.5 points per game in 2025-26, it has improved that mark over its past 10 games, allowing 68.0 points per contest.
- Over their past 10 games, the Rams are sinking 8.9 threes per game, 0.4 fewer threes than their season average (9.3). They sport a better three-point percentage over their previous 10 games (37.2%) compared to their season average (36.7%).
VCU betting records this season
- ATS Record: 18-16-0 (Home: 7-10-0; Away: 6-4-0)
- ATS Record When Underdog by 2.5+: 2-2-0 (As Favorite: 15-14-0; As Underdog: 3-2-0)
- O-U-P: 15-19-0 (Home: 11-6-0; Away: 3-7-0)
- Record When Moneyline Favorite: 26-3 (Home: 15-2; Away: 6-1)
- Record When Moneyline Underdog: 1-4 (Home: 0-0; Away: 1-2)
| Field Goal % | Opp. Field Goal % | Rebounds | Opp. Rebounds | Assists | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46.0 (128th in nation) | 43.1 (104th) | 33.6 (94th) | 30.2 (118th) | 14.1 (152nd) | 10.1 (94th) |
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