North Carolina Tar Heels vs Virginia Cavaliers Picks and Predictions for Saturday, January 24, 2026
Use Code WWWC The North Carolina Tar Heels will be on the road Saturday afternoon, playing the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, VA, at the John Paul Jones Arena at 12:00 PM. North Carolina has 15 wins and 4 losses thus far this season, currently ranked #22 in the nation. The Virginia Cavaliers return home Saturday afternoon with sixteen wins and two losses this year, ranked #14 in the country. North Carolina comes into this game following a 22-point home victory against Notre Dame in their last outing to end a 2-game skid. The Virginia Cavaliers return home Saturday riding a long winning streak after a 4-point road victory against SMU last time out.
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North Carolina tries to end recent woes
The North Carolina Tar Heels have averaged 82.4 points on 40% shooting from the floor through 19 games this season. Defensively, the Tar Heels are allowing 69.5 points per game this season, but have given up an average of 92 points per game over their last three losses. Defensively, North Carolina was locked back in against Notre Dame in their last outing, giving up only 69 points on 36% shooting and 32% from beyond the arc. Offensively, the Tar Heels rolled, scoring 91 points on 51% shooting and knocking down 13 triples in the game. North Carolina won the rebounding battle by 5 and forced 5 turnovers to seal the victory. Caleb Wilson led the way to the North Carolina offense with 22 points on 11 shots. Henri Veesar added a second-best 15 points on ten shots, while Derek Dixon added eleven points on six shots in 27 minutes. Luka Bogavac led the way off the North Carolina bench with 9 points on nine shots in 24 minutes. Kyan Evans added to the North Carolina scoring against Notre Dame with 9 points on 5 shots in 10 minutes off the bench.
Caleb Wilson leads the North Carolina offense this season with 19.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Big man Henri Veesar is second on the roster averaging17.1 points per game this season. Seth Trimble is 3rd on the team, averaging 14 points in just over 31 minutes per game, but he has played just three times this season. Kyan Evans averages 5.7 points to go along with the team’s leading 3.2 assists per game.
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Key Injury Report for North Carolina:
- James Brown (Questionable) - Undisclosed
- Ivan Matlekovic (Questionable) – Undisclosed
Virgina Looks to stay hot
The Virginia offense has been solid enough this season, averaging 84 points on 47% shooting from the floor. Defensively, the Cavaliers have been elite, holding opponents to 67.1 points per game this season and 62.8 points per game over their last five wins. Defensively, Virginia continued their tear last time out, giving up 68 points on 43% shooting for the floor. Offensively, the Cavaliers did just enough, scoring 72 points on 42% shooting and knocking down 12 triples in the game. Virginia won the rebounding battle by 8 and forced 8 turnovers to seal the win. Malik Thomas led the way for the Virginia offense in their last outing with 23 points on 14 shots in 33 minutes. Thijs De Ridder chipped in a second, with 17 points on 12 shots, while Devin Tillis added eleven points on six shots and 14 minutes.
Thijs De Ridder leads the Virginia offense this season, averaging 16.1 points per game. Malik Thomas is second on the team, averaging 13.6 points, and Chance Mallory averages 10.1 points per game. Big man Johann Grunloh averages 8.6 points to go along with the team-leading 6.8 rebounds per game. Dallin Hall averages 5.8 points and leaves the team dishing out 4.4 assists. Jacari White and Sam Lewis are both tied for 4th on the Virginia roster this season, averaging 9.8 points per game each.
Key Injury Report for Virginia:
- None
North Carolina vs Virginia Pick
- North Carolina vs Virginia Spread Pick
Both teams have been fantastic thus far this season, but Virginia is the hotter team coming into Saturday. Look for the Cavaliers to use their edge on both sides of the ball in front of their home fans in this matchup. Take Virginia to continue their winning ways as they get another victory to extend their current winning streak. With North Carolina struggling as of late, expect the Cavaliers to use that to their advantage. The Virginia defense will stifle a struggling North Carolina offense Saturday, leading to a home win. Take the Virginia Cavaliers Saturday afternoon to get the win and cover at home to improve their ACC record.
- North Carolina vs Virginia Over/Under Pick
Both teams score the ball in bunches, but each has an elite defense. Look for a knockdown, drag-out on the defensive end, as each team will fight for the victory. Expect a hard-fought match-up on both ends of the floor as points come at a premium in this game. Take Virginia get the win and cover at home to extend their winning streak, but the total will go under as two of the top teams in the ACC meet Saturday afternoon.
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