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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish look to right the ship in a tough environment on Saturday. Notre Dame is 0-4 in ACC play and 1-5 in the last six games as the Fighting Irish arrive in Chapel Hill to face the North Carolina Tar Heels. Notre Dame is 8-7 overall, while UNC is 10-5. The Tar Heels are 5-1 in the last six games, and North Carolina is 7-0 in games at Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill.

Caesars Sportsbook lists the Tar Heels as 12-point home favorites for this 11:30 a.m. ET tip. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 144.5 in the latest Notre Dame vs. North Carolina odds. Before making any North Carolina vs. Notre Dame picks, be sure to 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. The model enters Week 9 of the season 30-16 on all-top rated college basketball picks, returning more than $800 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on UNC vs. Notre Dame 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 Notre Dame vs. UNC:

  • North Carolina vs. Notre Dame spread: UNC -12
  • North Carolina vs. Notre Dame over/under: 144.5 points
  • North Carolina vs. Notre Dame money line: UNC -900, Notre Dame +600
  • ND: The Fighting Irish are 0-4 against the spread in road/neutral games
  • UNC: The Tar Heels are 3-4 against the spread in home games
  • North Carolina vs. Notre Dame picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Notre Dame can cover

Notre Dame brings a very strong offense to the table. The Fighting Irish have five players averaging in double figures, with Notre Dame posting a top-10 turnover rate (14.5%) in the country. Notre Dame is also strong in perimeter shooting, including 37.7% from 3-point range and a 78.3% at the free throw line. North Carolina struggles to a 16.2% turnover creation rate that ranks outside the top 300 nationally, and the Tar Heels allow opponents to shoot 34.6% from 3-point range. 

Notre Dame also has strong defensive characteristics, headlined by a top-10 national mark in free throw rate allowed. The Fighting Irish also secure almost 76% of available defensive rebounds and hold opponents to 31.8% shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. North Carolina's offense is excellent, but the Tar Heels make only 31.3% of 3-point attempts.

Why North Carolina can cover 

North Carolina is keyed by its offense, with the Tar Heels ranking in the top 15 of the country in adjusted offensive efficiency and myriad additional categories. Hubert Davis's team is also sound on defense, with an above-average national mark in efficiency. North Carolina ranks in the top 35 of the nation in free throw percentage, and the Tar Heels have a stellar defensive rebound rate of 73.9%. North Carolina's opponents shoot only 48.5% inside the arc, and the Tar Heels block more than 10% of shot attempts. 

UNC has a size and physicality advantage in this matchup, and Notre Dame is one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the country, grabbing fewer than 20% of missed shots. Notre Dame is also outside the top 300 in free throw creation rate, and North Carolina has the benefit of a stellar home-court advantage.

How to make UNC vs. Notre Dame picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 149 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 70% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Notre Dame vs. UNC? And which side of the spread cashes in more well over 70% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 30-16 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.