Stanford Cardinal vs North Carolina Tar Heels NCAAB Betting Prediction

Stanford vs North Carolina Tar Prediction 1/18/2025

The Stanford Cardinal (11-6) travel to face off against the North Carolina Tar Heels (12-6) on Saturday, January 18th. This game will be played at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill and televised on CW. North Carolina is coming off a win in their previous game, while Stanford is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Wake Forest. Tip-off is set for 2:15 ET.

Stanford Cardinal vs North Carolina Tar Heels

The Cardinal Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Stanford Cardinal Recent Game/Games

Stanford’s season record dropped to 11-6 following an 80-67 loss to Wake Forest on Wednesday. The Cardinal entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 147, exceeding the O/U line of 140.5.

Stanford led 35-33 at halftime but struggled in the second half, scoring just 32 points while allowing 47 points to Wake Forest.

The Tar Heels Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

North Carolina Tar Heels Recent Game/Games

North Carolina improved to 12-6 on the season with a dominant 79-53 win over California on Wednesday. The Tar Heels were heavy favorites at -15.5 and covered the spread comfortably. The total points for the game were 132, well under the O/U line of 159.5.

After leading 39-29 at halftime, UNC clamped down defensively, allowing just 24 points in the 2nd half while scoring 40 of their own. The win was a strong all-around performance for the Tar Heels.

Cardinal Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Stanford put up 67 points, shooting 44.4% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 51.9%, and they hit 78.6% of their free throws, going 11-for-14 from the line.

Hunter Sallis led the way with 30 points, shooting 70.6% overall and 60% from three. Tre’Von Spillers added 18 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 80% of his shots, while Jaylen Blakes contributed 15 points and 7 assists.

Tar Heels Offense Breakdown

North Carolina put up 79 points in their latest game, shooting 47.7% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.3%. They hit 51% of their two-point attempts (26/51) and 35.7% from beyond the arc (5/14). At the free-throw line, they were nearly perfect, converting 12 of 13 attempts for a 92.3% rate.

Ian Jackson led the way with 20 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 53.3% overall. Mady Sissoko was efficient inside, hitting 8 of 9 shots for 16 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Elliot Cadeau added 15 points and 3 assists, while Seth Trimble contributed 12 points and 6 boards.

Cardinal Team Defense

Stanford’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 80 points on 50% shooting from the field. They allowed 26 two-point baskets on 47 attempts, a 55% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, Stanford held their opponent to 27% shooting, with just 3 made threes on 11 attempts. However, they sent them to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 19 free throws for 79%.

Tar Heels Team Defense

Stanford’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 80 points on 50% shooting from the field. The Cardinal allowed 55% shooting from two-point range, with the opposing team hitting 26 of their 47 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Stanford held their opponent to 27% shooting, with just 3 made threes on 11 attempts. However, they sent the other team to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 19 of those for 79%. Stanford also gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Cardinal vs Tar Heels Trends

  • When looking at their past ten road matchups, Stanford has an ATS record of 5-5 while averaging 73 per game. The team went 4-6 overall in these games.
  • Although North Carolina has a straight up record of 2-1 in their last three home games, they have not held up as well vs. the spread going 0-3. The team averaged 69 points per game in these games.
  • Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Cardinal have gone 3-7 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-8.
  • Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Tar Heels have a strong record of 5-0. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-3.

Cardinal vs Tar Heels Prediction

For today’s matchup we are recommending to take the Tar Heels to secure the win, with an expected final score of 80-66. When it comes to the spread, we believe they’ll cover at -11.5.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 156.5 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.