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The 21st-ranked Kentucky Wildcats face the North Carolina Tar Heels in the 2021 CBS Sports Classic on Saturday. The Tar Heels (8-2), who were supposed to play UCLA, have won five in a row and are coming off a 74-61 win over Furman on Tuesday. The Wildcats (7-2), who were originally scheduled to play Ohio State, had a seven-game winning streak snapped last Saturday in a 66-62 loss at Notre Dame. Ohio State and UCLA are dealing with COVID-19 issues, leading to the change in schedule. UNC is 25-16 all-time against Kentucky, and is the only Division I program that has 10 or more wins and a winning record against the Wildcats.

The game from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m. ET on CBS. North Carolina is averaging 80.4 points per game, while Kentucky averages 80.3. The Wildcats are three-point favorites in the latest North Carolina vs. Kentucky odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 145. Before locking in any Kentucky vs. North Carolina picks, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on UNC vs. Kentucky and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Kentucky vs. UNC:

  • North Carolina vs. Kentucky spread: Kentucky -3
  • North Carolina vs. Kentucky over-under: 145 points
  • North Carolina vs. Kentucky money line: Kentucky -150, UNC +130
  • UNC: The Tar Heels are 3-1-1 against the spread in their last five games following an ATS win
  • UK: The under is 4-0 in the Wildcats' last four games overall

Why Kentucky can cover 

Entering the week, junior guard Sahvir Wheeler was second in the nation with 7.7 assists per game, and has had three games in which he has dished out double-figure assists. Wheeler is also averaging 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He has scored in double digits five times this year and has recorded two double-doubles. His best game was in the season opener against Duke, a 79-71 loss, when he scored 16 points and dished out 10 assists.

The Wildcats lead the country in rebound margin at plus-16.3 and rank in the top five in rebounds per game (43.9) and offensive rebounds per game (15.4). Junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe leads the team with 14.4 rebounds, while forward Keion Brooks, also a junior, is second at 4.9 rebounds. Brooks also averages 11.8 points and has scored in double figures in five of eight games, including 22 in a 77-59 win over Ohio on Nov. 19. Last week at Notre Dame, he scored 12 points while grabbing seven rebounds.

Why North Carolina can cover

The Tar Heels have five players averaging in double figures, led by sophomore guard Caleb Love. Love is averaging 16.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He is hitting on 43.9 percent of his field goals, including 42.9 percent of his 3-pointers. He is also an 80.5 percent free-throw shooter. Love is a preseason candidate for the Bob Cousy Award for the nation's top point guard, and was a second-team preseason All-ACC selection by the ACC media.

Junior forward Armando Bacot is also a big part of North Carolina's success, averaging 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.6 assists per game. He is connecting on 61.9 percent of his field goals. Bacot scored his 800th career point with a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double against Furman on Tuesday. He has 808 points and 588 rebounds in three seasons with the Tar Heels.

How to make UNC vs. Kentucky picks

SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 144 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Kentucky vs. UNC? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,400 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.