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The North Carolina Tar Heels will look to end the Virginia Cavaliers' dominance against them by posting a win in the series for the first time since 2017 when they meet in ACC action on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Cavaliers (9-5, 3-1), who have posted two consecutive ACC road wins at Syracuse and Clemson, have won seven in a row over North Carolina, including two in a row at Roy Williams Court at the Dean E. Smith Center. The Tar Heels (10-4, 2-1), who dropped their first conference game of the season on Wednesday at Notre Dame 78-73, still hold a 131-60 series edge over Virginia all-time. UNC is 24-6 against the Cavaliers at the Smith Center.

The game is scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. ET. UVA is averaging 63.6 points per game, while UNC averages 79.1. The Tar Heels are five-point favorites in the latest Virginia vs. North Carolina odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 132. Before making any North Carolina vs. Virginia 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. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,200 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. Virginia 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 Virginia vs. UNC:

  • Virginia vs. North Carolina spread: North Carolina -5
  • Virginia vs. North Carolina over-under: 132 points 
  • Virginia vs. North Carolina money line: North Carolina -220, Virginia +180
  • UVA: The Cavaliers are 4-1 against the spread in their last five road games against a team with a winning home record 
  • UNC: The Tar Heels are 17-7-2 ATS in their last 26 home games against a team with a road winning percentage of greater than .600

Why North Carolina can cover 

Sophomore guard R.J. Davis has been on a roll of late, reaching double-digit scoring in each of his last four games, including a 19-point effort in the loss at Notre Dame. For the season, he is averaging 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and nearly one steal per game. He is among the best 3-point shooters on the team, connecting on 49.3 percent of his field goals, including a blistering 45.5 percent from 3-point range. Davis has reached double-figure scoring in 10 games, including a pair of 20-plus point performances. He had a 26-point game vs. Brown on Nov. 12, and a 23-point effort at Georgia Tech on Dec. 5.

Graduate transfer forward Brady Manek is making a big impression on his new team, averaging 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Manek, who played his first four seasons at Oklahoma, is one of five Tar Heels averaging double-figure scoring. He is connecting on 49.3 percent of his field goals and 77.3 percent of his free throws. In seven semesters at Oklahoma, Manek became the Sooners' 14th-leading scorer all-time and has 258 career 3-pointers. Only two other Tar Heels have more.

Why Virginia can cover

The Cavaliers have two players with double digits scoring averages, led by senior forward Jayden Gardner. The transfer from East Carolina is averaging 15.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He is coming off a 23-point performance at Clemson on Tuesday, the 11th time he's reached double figures and the third time he reached 20 or more points. His best game was a 29-point effort in an 82-49 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 18. He has also registered four double-doubles, including a 21-point, 13-rebound effort against Providence on Nov. 23.

Junior guard Armaan Franklin is also averaging double-digit scoring, with 12 points per game. He is connecting on 40.9 percent of his field goals and 83.3 percent of his free throws. He is also averaging 2.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals, and has reached double figures in each of the last four games, including 13 at Clemson on Tuesday. Franklin is a transfer from Indiana.

How to make Virginia vs. North Carolina picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 135 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 North Carolina vs. Virginia pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Virginia vs. North Carolina? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Virginia vs. North Carolina spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $2,200 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.