The Auburn Tigers take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in Lahaina, HI, as part of the Maui Invitational. Tip-off is set for 11 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Auburn is favored by 4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -192. The total is set at 165.5 points.
Here are my Auburn vs. UNC predictions and college basketball picks for November 26, 2024.
Auburn vs UNC Prediction
My Pick: UNC +4.5
My Auburn vs UNC best bet is on the Tar Heels spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Auburn vs UNC Odds
| Auburn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -105 | 165.5 -110o / -110u | -192 |
| UNC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -115 | 165.5 -110o / -110u | +159 |
- Auburn vs UNC spread: Auburn -4.5
- Auburn vs UNC over/under: 165.5 points
- Auburn vs UNC moneyline: Auburn -192, UNC +159
- Auburn vs UNC best bet: UNC +4.5
Spread
I'm taking the Tar Heels on the spread at 4.5.
Moneyline
I'm avoiding the moneyline.
Over/Under
I have no play on the total.
My Pick: UNC +4.5
Auburn vs UNC College Basketball Betting Preview
No team in the country has looked better than the Auburn Tigers.
Bruce Pearl's squad has a pair of top-five wins (against Houston in Texas and Iowa State in Hawaii), and it's not even the end of November. They have athleticism, depth and a National Player of the Year candidate in Johni Broome.
The Tigers have eight players averaging 20 minutes or more per game, and that doesn't even factor in Furman transfer JP Pegues, who was considered one of the gems of their transfer class.
When Tahaad Pettiford (the No. 35 recruit in the nation who dropped 21 on Houston) is your sixth-leading scorer, you know you have plenty of talent on your team.
The Tigers also have a strong advantage in the paint with Broome. While North Carolina is still figuring out life without Armando Bacot, Broome is averaging a ridiculous 20.2 points and 11 rebounds per night.
But I still think we are getting value on the Tar Heels at this number.
Even though the Tigers have an edge inside, the country may not have a better three-headed backcourt than RJ Davis, Seth Trimble and Elliot Cadeau.
We already know Davis is a veteran who can score and create with the best of them, but Trimble is averaging over 17 points per game and is shooting 54% from the field and 53% from 3. Cadeau also looks like he's taken a giant leap, averaging nearly 15 a game while shooting 56% from the field.
It was a tale of two halves for UNC against Dayton. The Heels trailed by as many as 21 points, but they showed how good they could be in the second frame, dropping 59 points on the Flyers and coming back to win by two.
Most importantly, Davis has broken out of his early shooting slump, which is a sign of things to come for the Heels. Sure, Trimble and Cadeau will reverse to the mean regarding their shooting percentages, but I'm expecting the three guards to keep UNC on pace with the Tigers and keep this game close.
I don't know if the Heels will win this one, but again, we're getting some value at this number, as Bart Torvik has this spread at 3.5 in favor of Auburn.
This could be one of the best early games of the season, so back the Heels and get ready for a close one.
