Kentucky vs. North Carolina odds, how to watch, time: Model reveals college basketball picks for Dec. 16, 2023

TV channel, college basketball best bets, picks for UNC Tar Heels vs. Kentucky Wildcats in the 2023 CBS Sports Classic on Saturday, Dec. 16

By CBS Sports Staff

Dec 16, 2023 at 4:04 pm ET • 2 min read

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The two winningest programs in college basketball history will meet on CBS and Paramount+ on Saturday as the No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels take on the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky and UNC rank first and second, respectively, in all-time win percentage, while Carolina's 52 NCAA Tournament appearances are only topped by Kentucky's 61. This game is part of the 2023 CBS Sports Classic, and the teams enter in with matching 7-2 records in 2023-24. UNC owns the 22-17 edge in the all-time series, but Kentucky won the last meeting, 98-69, in 2021. You can watch Saturday's game on CBS and stream the game on Paramount+.

Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The latest North Carolina vs. Kentucky odds from SportsLine consensus list the Tar Heels as 1.5-point favorites, while the over/under for total points is 164. Saturday's showdown will be televised on CBS and streamed live with the must-have Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan, which comes with a 7-day free trial.

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How to watch Kentucky vs. North Carolina

North Carolina vs. Kentucky date: Saturday, Dec. 16
North Carolina vs. Kentucky time: 5:30 p.m. ET
North Carolina vs. Kentucky TV channel: CBS
North Carolina vs. Kentucky live stream: Paramount+

College basketball picks for UNC vs. Kentucky

Before tuning into the North Carolina vs. Kentucky game, you need to see the college basketball picks from SportsLine's advanced computer model. The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered Week 6 of the 2023-24 season on a 99-62 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $2,000 for $100 players. It is also off to a 11-3 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.

For Kentucky vs. North Carolina, the model projects the Wildcats (+1.5) to cover. Kentucky is 6-3 versus Carolina over the last nine matchups, including a 3-1 record in the CBS Sports Classic. UK has the No. 1 freshman class, per 247Sports, and all four of its five-star freshmen are averaging at least 9.8 points per game. The Cats also have experience in senior Antonio Reeves, who leads the team with 18 PPG, and fellow senior Tre Mitchell, who tops Kentucky with 6.3 rebounds.

As for North Carolina, it missed out on the NCAA Tournament last season, primarily due to a weak defense, and it doesn't appear much has changed on that end. The Tar Heels are allowing 80.8 points to teams from major conferences, which is bad news seeing how the Wildcats average 90.6 PPG -- the sixth most in the country. The model has five UK players scoring in double-figures on Saturday, as Kentucky (+1) covers more than 70% of the time. Stream the game here.