Kansas vs North Carolina Expert Picks, Player Props & Betting Odds (Nov 7th)

• The #19 Kansas Jayhawks visit the #25 North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday night in Chapel Hill
• The Jayhawks won by three at home last year but both rosters have been completely overhauled
• See the Kansas vs North Carolina expert picks and predictions, plus the latest KU vs UNC odds

A blue-blood matchup with two elite freshmen highlights Friday’s college basketball slate as Darryn Peterson and the #19 Kansas Jayhawks (1-0, 1-0 ATS, 0-1 O/U) visit Caleb Wilson and the #25 North Carolina Tar Heels (1-0, 1-0 ATS, 0-1 O/U) at 7:00 pm ET at the Dean E Smith Center in Chapel Hill.

Both teams are coming off lopsided season-opening wins on Monday, spearheaded by the freshmen phenoms: UNC crushed Central Arkansas 94-54 getting a game-high 22 from Wilson, while Kansas routed Green Bay 94-51 with Peterson scoring 21 points in just 22 minutes.

The analytics project a razor-tight game on Friday night and the Kansas vs UNC odds agree, listing the Tar Heels as 1.5 or 2.5-point home favorites, depending on the sportsbook.

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Kansas vs UNC Odds

The Kansas vs UNC odds list the Tar Heels at -137 on the moneyline at FanDuel, and slightly shorter at other books. The Jayhawks are as long as +122 at Caesars. The best Kansas ATS price is +2.5 (-110) at bet365, while DraftKings has the best UNC ATS price at -1.5 (-118).

The game total only shows a half-point range. Under bettors should take 159 (-110) at Caesars. Over bettors should take 158.5 (-110) at bet365.

Odds commentary as of 1:29 pm ET. The odds in the table will update automatically if the college basketball odds move before tip-off.

KU vs UNC Player Props

Freshman phenom Darryn Peterson () has the highest point total at 20.5 with the under slightly favored at -125. Peterson started his collegiate career with a 24-point, four-rebound, three-assist performance in just 22 minutes during a 94-51 rout of Green Bay on Monday.

Caleb Wilson has the highest total on the UNC side at 17.5 with the over slightly favored at -125. Wilson also has the highest rebound total on the board at 7.5. He had 22 points but just four boards in 25 minutes in UNC’s 94-54 win over Central Arkansas on Monday.

Kansas vs North Carolina Picks & Predictions

• Peterson over 20.5 points (-105) at bet365
• Kansas moneyline (+122) at Caesars

The Jayhawks are rated higher at KenPom (19th vs 30th), Torvik (16th vs 22nd), and Haslam (16th vs 18th). UNC is projected to win purely because of home-court advantage, and the crowd is sure to be in a frenzy in Chapel Hill.

But Kansas has one thing UNC doesn’t: Darryn Peterson, a 6’6 guard that future Hall-of-Famer Bill Self has already called the best freshman he’s ever recruited and “as good a player as I’ve ever coached”. Peterson was unstoppable in limited minutes on Monday, averaging nearly a point per minute while shooting 63.6% from the floor and 42.9% from three.

All due respect to Wilson, the#5 recruit in the nation, but Peterson will be the best player on the floor. As one of KU’s primary ball-handlers (alongside senior Melvin Council Jr), he’ll likely have a higher usage that Wilson and a greater overall impact over 40 minutes.

Kansas also has an elite front-court presence to counteract Wilson, Flory Bidunga, the #18 overall recruit in the nation last year whose minutes were limited as a freshman due to the presence of Hunter Dickinson. The 6’10 Bidunga poured in 23 points on Monday with six boards and three blocks in . He averaged 5.4 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game last year while only playing 16 minutes per night.

Kansas has the best player on the floor, more frontcourt/backcourt balance, and the better overall team. I love getting them at significant plus-money, even in an environment as hostile as Chapel Hill.