N. Carolina Tar Heels vs. Syracuse Orange: How to watch NCAA Basketball online, TV channel, live stream info, start time

Halftime Report

This game looks nothing like the tight 72-68 margin from N. Carolina's win over Syracuse in their previous head-to-head back in January of 2023. N. Carolina has a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Syracuse 52-30.

N. Carolina entered the match having won five straight and they're just one half away from another. Will they make it six, or will Syracuse step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.

Who's Playing

Syracuse Orange @ N. Carolina Tar Heels

Current Records: Syracuse 11-4, N. Carolina 12-3

How To Watch

When: Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 12 p.m. ET
Where: Dean E. Smith Center -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina
TV: ESPN
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $105.00

What to Know

Syracuse is 2-8 against N. Carolina since January of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. Both teams will face off in an ACC battle at 12:00 p.m. ET at Dean E. Smith Center. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Last Wednesday, the Orange beat the Eagles 69-59. The victory was just what Syracuse needed coming off of a 86-66 loss in their prior match.

Among those leading the charge was Maliq Brown, who scored 19 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. He also posted two+ blocks for the first time this season. Chris Bell was another key contributor, scoring 20 points.

Meanwhile, N. Carolina came tearing into Wednesday's contest with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20 points) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Wolfpack by a score of 67-54. Winning is a bit easier when your three-point shooting is a whole 23.8% better than the opposition, as N. Carolina's was.

N. Carolina relied on the efforts of Elliot Cadeau, who scored 11 points along with six assists, and Harrison Ingram, who scored nine points along with 19 rebounds. Those 19 rebounds set a new season-high mark for him.

The Orange's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-4. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 79.7 points per game. As for the Tar Heels, their victory bumped their record up to 12-3.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Syracuse have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 37.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like N. Carolina struggles in that department as they've been averaging 40.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Syracuse and N. Carolina pleased both fans and bettors in their last games by winning and covering the spread. Looking ahead, N. Carolina is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 13 points. They might be worth a quick bet since they've covered the spread the last five times they've played.