North Carolina vs. Alabama Prediction and Odds for Sunday, November 27 (Trust Tide to Tame Tar Heels)
By Ben Heisler
The Phil Knight Invitational continues from Portland this afternoon in a battle of two 5-1 teams in the top 25, both of which come off their first losses of the season on Friday.
The North Carolina Tar Heels look to shake off their 70-65 defeat to Iowa State when they take on the Alabama Crimson Tide, fresh off a blowout 82-67 defeat to No. 20 UConn.
UNC won't be ranked No. 1 in the country when Monday's Top 25 AP Poll is released, but they could keep themselves further up on the list with a victory today. Alabama is ranked down at No. 18, but they've actually been the better team based on several key metrics this year.
Who's in the best spot for a Sunday matinee victory in the Pacific Northwest?
Here are the latest odds:
North Carolina vs. Alabama Odds, Spread and Total
North Carolina vs. Alabama Prediction and Pick
The Tar Heels may own the best ranking in college hoops at the start of the week, but don't let that fool you into thinking they've been the best team in this year.
When Hubert Davis' squad made their turnaround last season, marching all the way to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament championship game vs. Kansas, it was due to their turnaround on the defensive side of the ball. Right now, the Tar Heels are just 50th in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency this year; not bad, but certainly leave plenty to be desired.
The Tar Heels have also struggled from 3-point range this year, shooting just 30.8% from behind the line, 253rd-best in the country.
Meanwhile, Alabama owns both a top 20 offensive and defensive efficiency ranking in college basketball, coming in 20th on defense and 19th on offense. They play fast, physical, and can feel like a freight train hitting you if you're not ready. UNC also can go up-tempo, but they've still a bit too lackadaisical at times, and that's when the Tide can punch them in the mouth.
It's also a bad matchup for North Carolina. Alabama is the best team in the country at defending 2-point shots, where UNC ranks 30th. They also limit teams to just 39% in effective field goal percentage.
If the Tar Heels can't score, or slow down Alabama inside, this isn't the time to back them, even as the "current" top team in basketball.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.