North Carolina Tar Heels vs. UNLV Rebels Odds Betting Picks

The 1-0 North Carolina Tar Heels will face off with the 0-1 UNLV Rebels in game one of the Maui Invitational on Monday Night. The winner of this game will face the winner of Alabama vs. Stanford tomorrow. The Tar Heels come in as 12-point favorites and we’re expecting plenty of points with a 151 over/under. Let’s dive into how this one will go down and who will end up covering the spread. Make sure to check out the rest of my CBB Picks and Predictions for this upcoming week of games.

• Tar Heels are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
• Rebels are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Monday games.
• Under is 5-1 in Tar Heels last 6 neutral site games.
• Under is 5-1 in Rebels last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

The Tar Heels were challenged in the opener by the College of Charleston, but they ended up pulling away with a 79-60 victory. Incoming freshman PG Caleb Love led the team with 17 points, and he’s the one taking over for the explosive Cole Anthony. Love is an integral part of this Tar Heels team remaining deadly.

Armando Bacot and Garrison Brooks return down low to hold down one of the best backcourt duos in the country. They’re joined by freshman Day’Ron Sharpe, who added 13 points and 10 boards in the opener. He’s been dubbed by Coach Williams as the best rebounder since Tyler Hansbrough. Watch out for Payne as the season progresses.

The Rebels weren’t so fortunate in their opener, losing 91-78 to Montana State in a game that was over 10 minutes in. They were terrible defensively, allowing 40+ points in both halves. Offensively, the Rebels are led by junior PG Bryce Hamilton. He put up 27 points, 8 rebounds, and four assists. Caleb Grill and Nicquel Blake were both over double-digits and the Rebels lean heavily on these guards.

David Jenkins Jr. struggled in the opener (2-9 FG), but he averaged nearly 20 points per game at SDSU last season and is a huge addition to the squad. If he can step up, this offense is extremely dangerous. The Tar Heels have a lot of body down low and Cheick Mbacke Diong will be tasked with slowing them down. He’s certainly capable, but far from consistent.

I like the Rebels to keep this game close. They’re a lot better than the College of Charleston, who gave the Tar Heels trouble in the opener. Bryce Hamilton and David Jenkins Jr. are dangerous from the outside and they’re going to match what the Tar Heels have to offer. I’m a big fan of the Rebels in this game and think they keep this one within single digits.

The Tar Heels aren’t going to have any trouble scoring. Montana State just put up 91 points against UNLV in the opener. The Rebels are also an offensive firepower and the Tar Heels didn’t look great themselves. I love the over here and would be on it all the way up to 160. The over is my favorite bet in this game overall.