The No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon.
UNC is a 4-point favorite, and my North Carolina vs. Ohio State predictions are laying the points with the Tar Heels.
Here are my best free college basketball picks for this non-conference clash on December 20.
Ohio State vs North Carolina prediction
Ohio State vs North Carolina best bet: North Carolina -4 (-110)
The Ohio State Buckeyes are 8-2 but haven't looked great against high-major opponents. They lost 88-80 at home against No. 18 Illinois last week and were also defeated by Pittsburgh, who is outside the Top 100 at KenPom.
They had razor close wins against Notre Dame, Northwestern, and West Virginia, who sit between 50-75 at KenPom. If they could barely beat those schools, they'll struggle against the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are 10-1 with two wins versus ranked foes and their only loss coming against No. 9 Michigan State.
UNC is getting back senior guard Seth Trimble (14.5 points and 3.5 assists per game), who has been sidelined since November 7 with an arm injury. Trimble might be rusty on offense but should make an immediate impact on defense slowing down OSU's best player in Bruce Thornton.
North Carolina's defense matches up extremely well against the Buckeyes attack. OSU is fifth in the country in 2-point percentage (63.1%) while ranking 64th in free throw rate (41.6%).
However, the Tar Heels rank third in 2-point defense (40.6%) and sixth in opponent free throw rate (23%). They are also 10th in defensive rebounding rate while the Buckeyes are outside the Top 150 in offensive rebounding rate.
On the other side of the floor, OSU won't be able to contain UNC's up-tempo attack. OSU has played against just two teams with competent offenses and surrendered more than 80 points in both of those contests.
Superstar freshman Caleb Wilson (19.5 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 54.6 FG%) and center Henri Veesar (16.9 ppg, 64.5 FG%) will feast against an OSU frontcourt that doesn't protect the rim.
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Ohio State vs North Carolina same-game parlay
Wilson has pulled down 11+ boards in seven of his last nine games. With both teams preferring to push the pace on offense, we should see a high-possession game with inflated rebounding numbers.
Brandon Noel is a plodding power forward who is the least-talented offensive player in OSU's starting lineup. He has been held to fewer than 5.5 points in three of his last four games and will struggle against the length and athleticism of UNC's frontcourt.
Ohio State vs North Carolina SGP
- North Carolina -4
- Caleb Wilson Over 10.5 rebounds
- Brandon Noel Under 7.5 points
Our beyond the arc SGP: Thornton holds his own
Thornton averages 21.8 points and 4.4 assists per game on 60/50/86 shooting splits. His efficiency will go down in this matchup but his shooting volume should surge as he tries to carry OSU's offense in a losing cause.
Ohio State vs North Carolina SGP
- North Carolina -4
- Caleb Wilson Over 10.5 rebounds
- Brandon Noel Under 7.5 points
- Bruce Thornton Over 17.5 points
Ohio State vs North Carolina odds
- Spread: Ohio State +4 | North Carolina -4
- Moneyline: Ohio State +155 | North Carolina -185
- Over/Under: Over 157.5 | Under 157.5
Ohio State vs North Carolina betting trend to know
Ohio State is 1-4 ATS against high-major foes this season. Find more college basketball betting trends for Ohio State vs. North Carolina.
How to watch Ohio State vs North Carolina
| Location | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA |
| Date | Saturday, December 20, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | CBS |
Ohio State vs North Carolina key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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