One team will get a chance to play for a spot in the Final Four, and one team's season will come to an end when the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels and fourth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide collide in a Sweet 16 showdown on Thursday. The top-seeded Tar Heels (29-7) are looking to reach the Elite Eight for the 28th time in program history. UNC ranks second all-time in Elite Eight appearances, behind only Kentucky (34). Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Crimson Tide (23-11) can advance to the regional final for just the second time in school history with a victory on Thursday night.
Tipoff from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles is set for 9:39 p.m. ET. The Tar Heels are favored by 4.5 points in the latest North Carolina vs. Alabama odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 173.5. Before making any Alabama vs. North Carolina picks or NCAA Tournament predictions, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from SportsLine expert Thomas Casale.
A frequent guest on national radio and TV shows to discuss college sports, Casale started playing football sheets at 8 years old when his dad was the local bookie. He's been betting -- and winning -- for more than 30 years. Over the last three college basketball seasons (through Jan. 31, 2024), Thomas is 305-179-7 (63%). He also is on a 22-4-1 roll with his last 27 against-the-spread picks, for a profit of $1,743 for $100 bettors. Anyone who has consistently followed him is way up.
Now, Casale has set his sights on North Carolina vs. Alabama and made his picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Alabama vs. North Carolina:
- North Carolina vs. Alabama spread: Tar Heels -4.5
- North Carolina vs. Alabama over/under: 173.5 points
- North Carolina vs. Alabama money line: Tar Heels -201, Crimson Tide +166
- UNC: The Tar Heels rank eighth in the country in rebounds per game (40.9).
- ALA: The Crimson Tide lead the nation in scoring (90.7 points per game).
- North Carolina vs. Alabama picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why North Carolina can cover
North Carolina has one of the best players in the country in RJ Davis. The senior guard from White Plains, N.Y., is averaging 21.3 points per game, which ranks 13th in the nation. He's also knocking down 41.1% of his 3-pointers. For his efforts this season, Davis was named the ACC Player of the Year and has received first-team All-American honors from the Associated Press and Sporting News.
Davis and the Tar Heels will face an Alabama team that has one of the worst defenses in Div. I. The Crimson Tide give up 80.9 points per game; just six teams in the country allow more. In Ken Pomeroy's adjusted defensive efficiency metric, Alabama gives up 102.3 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 101st in the nation. See which team to pick here.
Why Alabama can cover
Alabama has a dynamic backcourt duo in Mark Sears and Aaron Estrada. Sears ranks 11th in the country in scoring (21.5 points per game) while Estrada adds 13.3 points per contest. They are the first Div. I duo since 1996-97 to both have at least 410 points, 125 assists, 120 rebounds, 50 3-pointers made and 40 steals during the regular season.
Led by Sears and Estrada, the Crimson Tide can beat anyone because of their proficiency from behind the 3-point arc. Alabama takes 30.1 3-pointers per game, which ranks fourth in the country, and makes 11.0 3-pointers per game, which ranks third. So far in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the Crimson Tide have made 21 total 3-pointers, shooting 38.9% from behind the arc. See which team to pick here.
How to make North Carolina vs. Alabama picks
Casale has analyzed this matchup from every possible angle. He is leaning Over on the point total and has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins Alabama vs. UNC, and which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the UNC vs. Alabama spread hits, all from the expert who's 305-179-7 over the last three college basketball seasons, and find out.
