The North Carolina Tar Heels look to win their third consecutive game when they take on the Florida State Seminoles in ACC action on Monday. The Tar Heels (18-11, 10-8 ACC), tied with Wake Forest for seventh in the conference standings, have won 10 of the last 14 matchups with Florida State. The Seminoles (9-20, 7-11), who are 11th in the ACC, have lost seven of their last 10 games. UNC defeated No. 6 Virginia 71-63 on Saturday, while FSU came back from a 25-point second-half deficit, to beat No. 13 Miami 85-84. UNC is currently one of the first four teams out of the NCAA Tournament field in Jerry Palm's latest CBS Sports bracketology, making this essentially a must-win matchup for the Tar Heels.
The game from the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Fla., will tip off at 7 p.m. ET. UNC is averaging 77.1 points per game, while Florida State averages 70.1. The Tar Heels are 8-point favorites in the latest North Carolina vs. Florida State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 155. Before making any Florida State vs. North Carolina picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 17 of the season 76-46 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,600 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UNC vs. FSU 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 FSU vs. UNC:
- North Carolina vs. Florida State spread: North Carolina -8
- North Carolina vs. Florida State over/under: 155 points
- North Carolina vs. Florida State money line: North Carolina -355, Florida State +278
- UNC: The Tar Heels are 5-0 against the spread in their last five road games vs. a team with a losing home record
- FSU: The Seminoles are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against a team with a losing road record
- North Carolina vs. Florida State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why North Carolina can cover
Junior guard RJ Davis is one of four Tar Heels scoring at least 10 points per game. Davis averages 15.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is also connecting on 42.3% of his field goals and 88.0% of his foul shots. Davis recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Virginia. It was his third of the season.
Senior forward Pete Nance is coming off a 22-point effort against Virginia on Saturday. The transfer from Northwestern is averaging 10.2 points, six rebounds, 1.6 assists and one block per game. He is connecting on 42.7% of his field goals and 81.1% of his free throws. He has four double-doubles on the year, including an 11-point and 10-rebound effort at Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Why Florida State can cover
Sophomore guard Matthew Cleveland powers the Seminoles, and is coming off a 20-point and five-rebound effort at Miami on Saturday. He is one of four Florida State players averaging double-digit scoring. He averages 14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, and is connecting on 46% of his field goals, including 37.7% of his 3-pointers, and 69.4% of his free throws. Cleveland has 10 double-doubles on the year.
Junior guard Darin Green Jr. averages 13.9 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal per game. He is connecting on 90% of his free throws. Green is coming off a 20-point and five-rebound performance at Miami. He has scored in double figures 19 times, including six games with 20 or more points. He scored a season-high 30 points in a 93-79 loss to St. John's on Dec. 17.
How to make Florida State vs. North Carolina picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 145 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can get the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins FSU vs. UNC? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.