The California Golden Bears (8-8) travel to face off against the North Carolina Tar Heels (11-6) on Wednesday, January 15th. This game will be played at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill and televised on ACCN. North Carolina is coming off a win in their previous game, while California is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Virginia Tech. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

California Golden Bears vs North Carolina Tar Heels

The Golden Bears Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

California Golden Bears Recent Game/Games

California dropped to 8-8 on the season after a 71-68 home loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday. The Golden Bears, who were -7 favorites, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 139 fell short of the 144.5 O/U line.

Cal’s defense tightened in the 2nd half, allowing just 29 points while scoring 45, but they couldn’t overcome a 42-23 halftime deficit.

The Tar Heels Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

North Carolina improved to 11-6 on the season with a 63-61 road win over NC State on Saturday. The Tar Heels entered the game as -4.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 124, well below the O/U line of 150.5.

UNC led 26-20 at halftime but allowed 41 points in the 2nd half while scoring 37. Despite the close score, the Tar Heels managed to hold on for the win.

Golden Bears Offense Breakdown

California struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 32.4% from the field and 25.9% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 38.2%, but they did hit 81% of their free throws, going 17-for-21 from the line.

Andrej Stojakovic led the team with 24 points, though he shot 1-for-6 from deep. Tyler Johnson contributed 11 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, while Jaydon Young and Jeremiah Wilkinson each added 14 points. The Golden Bears also grabbed 17 offensive rebounds in the game.

Tar Heels Offense Breakdown

In their last game, the Tar Heels managed just 63 points, shooting 43.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50%. They hit 36.8% from beyond the arc, going 7-for-19, and struggled at the free-throw line, making only 4 of 8 attempts.

Ian Jackson led the way with 21 points, connecting on 5 of 8 three-point attempts. Marcus Hill added 20 points and 9 rebounds, while Jalen Washington contributed 12 boards and 11 points, shooting 66.7% from the field.

Golden Bears Team Defense

California’s defense held their opponent to 71 points on 32% shooting from the field, including 36% from two-point range. They also limited their opponent’s three-point shooting, allowing just 7 threes on 27 attempts (25%).

Despite the strong defensive effort, California sent their opponent to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 17 attempts (81%). The Golden Bears also gave up 17 offensive rebounds in the game.

Tar Heels Team Defense

California’s defense held their opponent to 71 points on just 32% shooting from the field, as they went 22/68 overall. Inside the arc, the Golden Bears limited them to 36% shooting, with a 15/41 performance on two-point attempts.

From three-point range, California’s defense kept the pressure on, allowing just 7/27 shooting, or 25%. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 21 times, where they hit 17, good for 81%. The Golden Bears gave up 17 offensive rebounds in the game.

Golden Bears vs Tar Heels Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, California has an ATS record of 3-0 while averaging 78 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
• Across their ten previous home games, North Carolina has an ATS mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 7-3 while averaging 75 points per game.
• As the betting underdog, the Golden Bears have an ATS mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. California posted a straight up mark of 1-9 in these matchups.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, North Carolina has an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 8-2 straight up.

Golden Bears vs Tar Heels Prediction

For a pick on the point-spread in this Tar Heels vs. Golden Bears matchup, our bet is to grab the Golden Bears at +14.5. Even though our projections have the Tar Heels winning 79-67, we see the Golden Bears as the play on the point-spread.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 159.5 and given that our model is projecting 146 points between the teams, we like the under.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.