North Carolina vs Georgia Tech Odds and Picks

• North Carolina is a 2.5-point road favorite versus Georgia Tech on Wednesday (Dec. 30, 8 pm EST)
• The Tar Heels are fresh off a 79-76 loss to NC State, while the Yellow Jackets routed Delaware State by 28 last time out
• See below for analysis, odds and a betting prediction

A pair of ACC programs looking for their first conference win will clash Wednesday (Dec. 30, 8 pm EST) when the 5-3 North Carolina Tar Heels visit the 4-3 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

UNC enters play fresh off a 3-point loss to NC State, while the Yellow Jackets routed Delaware State by 28 points last time out.

North Carolina vs Georgia Tech Odds

Odds taken Dec. 29th at FanDuel.

North Carolina opened up as a 2.5-point favorite, in a game that features a total of 142.5. The Tar Heels were the 17th ranked team in the nation prior to their last outing, but a loss to the Wolfpack in their ACC opener bumped them from the AP Top-25.

Tar Heels Victimized by Another Slow Start

A common theme in UNC games this season has been slow starts. Versus NC State, they trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half, before eventually clawing their way back into the game. They’ve now fallen behind by double-digits in six of their eight contests, including all three defeats.

DOWN GOES UNC‼️

NC State wins a nail-biter over No. 17 North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/5CWemPsGIi

— ESPN (@espn) December 23, 2020

The Tar Heels were once again abysmal from long range against the Wolfpack, knocking down just 2-of-12 attempts from beyond the arc. They’re shooting 25.6% from 3 this season, while averaging just 3.9 made 3’s per outing, which ranks 332nd in the country.

They’ve been able to stay in games by shooting a high percentage on their 2-point looks (49.5%) in large part due to their size advantage over most opponents. UNC features five rotational players that stand 6-foot-10 or taller, which has led to a big rebounding advantage in most games.

Top 5 Offensive Rebounding Teams (by %):

1. @UHCougarMBK – 43.0%
2. @BaylorMBB – 42.7%
3. @UNC_Basketball – 41.8%
4. @HailStateMBK – 40.8%
5. @WVUhoops – 39.3%

**Min. 5 DI GP via KenPom

— Cooper Watson (@coopertwatson) December 25, 2020

The out-rebounded NC State 45-34, and rank sixth in the nation in total rebounding, and third on the offensive glass. They’ll own a major size advantage over a Georgia Tech team that doesn’t start a single player above 6-foot-9, which should lead to another big night on the glass and plenty of second chance opportunities.

Yellow Jackets Benefit from Soft Schedule

The Yellow Jackets have now won back-to-back games over lightweights Florida A&M and Delaware State, but have failed to cover in each contest. Versus the Hornets, they shot 55% from the field, led by a career-high 29 from Jose Alvarado.

Jose Alvarado put on a show on a career-high night!#ACCMBB | @GTMBB @AlvaradoJose15 pic.twitter.com/RJzNjxuSDx

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) December 21, 2020

Georgia Tech features five upperclassmen that average in double-figures, but their strong offensive numbers have been inflated by a soft schedule. Their four wins include victories over a 1-win Kentucky program, and three other schools (Nebraska, Florida A&M and Delaware State) that rank 115th or worse by KenPom’s efficiency metrics.

They have losses against Florida State (25th), Georgia State (102nd) and Mercer (153rd) on their resume, and have yet to face an opponent as talented as the Tar Heels.

Take the Tar Heels

There’s a major discrepancy between these two programs in both talent and overall efficiency (21st vs 79th). UNC’s size will create havoc at Georgia Tech’s end of the floor, leading to easy buckets all night long.

Yes, the Tar Heels have underwhelmed so far in 2020, but the eight day break in between games will give Roy Williams’ squad plenty of time to address all of the issues that popped up in the first month of the season. I like UNC to make a strong case to be slotted back inside the AP Top-25 with a convincing win on Wednesday night.

Pick: UNC -2.5 (-120)