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UNC vs. Louisville: How to watch, odds, predictions from ESPN, KenPom

Alex Weberby:Alex Weber•01/14/23•

Alexhweber

louisville
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

On this lovely Louisville afternoon, North Carolina comes to the Derby City to face the spiraling Louisville basketball team. Neither team has had a satisfactory season so far, but there’s a chance for one of them to get a big boost of momentum and pick up a conference win. So, before the Tar Heels and Cards tip it off this afternoon, here is all of the relevant information — TV channel, point spreads, predictions, etc.

Check it out:

How to watch

Tip-off: 2 p.m.

Location: Louisville, KY

Channel: ESPN

Vegas odds

According to the Vegas Insider Consensus, North Carolina averages out as a 12.5-point favorite over the Cardinals in the Yum! Center.

ESPN BPI Prediction

Predicted winner: North Carolina

Predicted point differential: 17.0

Win probability: 93.1%

Matchup quality: 49.5

KenPom Prediction

Predicted final score: 80-65 North Carolina

Win probability: 92%

More on North Carolina-Louisville

As mentioned, both clubs ar experiencing monumentally disappointing seasons. Louisville didn’t have high expectations coming into the year, having fired their head coach last season and replacing him with Kenny Payne, a first-time head coach who neglected to bring in a single scholarship guard through the Transfer Portal last offseason despite losing every starter. That decision played out as most would expect, with the Cardinals struggling far more than any fan could have imagined. They sit at a measly 2-15 on the year with no power conference wins yet. Maybe that will change on Saturday!

If it does, North Carolina is officially in panic mode. Really, they’re already at that point given how badly they’ve disappointed their preseason expectations. But a loss to a 2-15 team would be a hard to recover from. So, a really important game for the Heels to win if they want to keep their season on the rails.

A matchup between two programs who desperately need the win. It may not be a great basketball game, but there’s plenty at stake just south of the Ohio River today.