Georgia Bulldogs vs North Carolina Tar Heels Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 2
Two unbeaten teams meet in Chapel Hill, with North Carolina scoring 88.3 points per game and Georgia at 83.0 in a high tempo showdown.
The Matchup
Two 3-0 teams meet at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill in the best game on this slate. North Carolina, from the Atlantic Coast Conference, has scored 88.3 points per game and allowed 68.3 this season after going 24-9 last season. Georgia, from the Southeastern Conference, has scored 83.0 per game and allowed 70.3 this season after a 22-11 campaign last season.
The numbers here blend this season with last season because both teams have played fewer than eight games, and for North Carolina that blend shows continuity from a high level program into an explosive start led by Terrence Brown at 16.3 points per game, with Neo Avdalas adding 4.0 assists per game and Maximo Adams pulling 8.0 rebounds per game. Georgia counters with Blue Cain at 16.0 points per game, Marcus Millender at 3.7 assists per game and James Scott at 6.7 rebounds per game. Brown, Cain and Avdalas carry no injury designations.
Key Factors
Pace will be fast and shot quality will decide it. Both teams want to run, both have scored in the eighties this season, and the posted total reflects a game played in transition. North Carolina holds the home edge and slightly better defensive numbers this season, and Brown gives the Tar Heels a scorer who can answer Georgia runs without the offense stalling.
Georgia is a live underdog and that is the honest counterpoint. Cain can match Brown as a primary option, Georgia defends well enough to force tough possessions, and an unbeaten Southeastern Conference team will not be intimidated in Chapel Hill. If Georgia controls the glass through Scott and limits live ball turnovers, the Bulldogs can win outright. North Carolina needs its home crowd and its depth to tilt the final stretch, which is exactly where home teams in this spot usually separate.
North Carolina has the home floor, the slightly deeper creation, and the scorer to close a fast and tight game in Chapel Hill. Take North Carolina Tar Heels at -185.
Game Information
| Date | Friday (11/13) |
|---|---|
| Start Time | 6:00 PM CT |
| How to Watch | ESPN2 |
| Venue | Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill |
| Spread | North Carolina Tar Heels -4.5 |
| Total | 161.5 |
| Moneyline | North Carolina Tar Heels -185 |
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