North Carolina vs. Louisville prediction: College basketball odds, pick

college basketball louisville cardinals north carolina tar heels sports betting Sports Picks Bonus Code

The horrendous Louisville Cardinals travel to Chapel Hill to battle the supernova North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday night, and this ACC battle should provide little intrigue.

Kenny Paynes squad has fallen deeper into despair during his tenure, now sitting at 6-10 overall and 1-4 in league play with losses to Chattanooga and DePaul.

The defense cant stop a nosebleed, and the offense lacks ball movement, too often devolving into isolation midrange attempts.

But that could work against North Carolina.

North Carolina vs. Louisville prediction

(9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

The Heels all-around defense is fine, but the individual defenders struggle on an island, as North Carolina ranks 252nd nationally in iso points per possession (PPP) allowed (.84).

Similarly, they rank 263rd in mid-range PPP allowed (.79), with opponents cashing in on 35 percent of their midrange 2s.

But will that be enough?

Probably not.

North_Carolina_vs_Louisville_prediction_College_basketball_odds_pick North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis points out a player during the college basketball game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the North Carolina Tar Heels. Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Heels are a transition and post offense, using their elite three-guard lineup of RJ Davis, Cormac Ryan and Elliot Cadeau to push the pace and dump the ball down low to Armando Bacot.

The Cardinals are among the worst transition defenses in college hoops (1.18 PPP allowed, 353rd) and are similarly bad against post-up sets (.89 PPP allowed, 234th).

The guards cant stay in front of Davis and Co., and the forwards cant match up with Bacot.

That said, this is a mini-sleepy spot for North Carolina, which is off seven consecutive victories and hits the road for three of its next four.

So, I expect Louisville to score enough here to hang within 20 points for 40 minutes.

Betting on Collee Basketball?

Check out the best College Basketball betting sites
Read our guide on how to bet on College Basketball
Get the latest NCAA Championship Winner odds

The Cardinals have a decent schematic matchup, and I dont think the Heels will give their best defensive effort.

Its ugly, but most projection systems peg UNC closer to a 20-point favorite than a 22-point one, so Ill snag the Cardinals at anything above +21.

For what its worth, UNC hasnt beaten LOU by more than 21 since Feb. 2021, and two of those three games stayed within 10 points.

THE PLAY: Louisville +21.5 (-110, BetRivers)

How many decks are used in poker?

In most popular poker variants, such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha, a standard deck of 52 playing cards is used. Each deck contains four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) and consists of 13 ranks (Ace, 2 through 10, and the face cards: Jack, Queen, and King).

What is the bonus code for WPT Global Poker 2023?

The best bonus code for WPT Global is WPT777. By entering the bonus code, players will get a welcome bonus 100% up to $1,200 on the first deposit. The minimum deposit is $20.