North Carolina vs. Clemson odds, line: College basketball picks, predictions from advanced model on 107-79 roll

Clemson will host No. 5 North Carolina in ACC hoops action on Saturday evening with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. The Tar Heels are 4.5-point favorites, with the over-under set at 147.5 in the latest North Carolina vs. Clemson odds. The Tar Heels are currently projected as a No. 2 seed with an outside chance of earning their way onto the No. 1 line in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, while Clemson is a No. 12 seed and one of the last four teams in, according to CBS expert Jerry Palm. So both squads have a lot to prove on Saturday and you should definitely check out the UNC vs. Clemson picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine before making your own college basketball predictions. 

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has raked in the winnings for those following its picks. Over the past two years, the SportsLine Projection Model has returned nearly $4,200 to $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks. It also entered Week 17 of the 2018-19 college basketball season on a blistering 107-79 run against the spread. Anyone who has followed it is way up. 

Now, the model has dialed in on North Carolina vs. Clemson. We can tell you it is leaning over, and it also has a strong against the spread pick that hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You absolutely need to see it before you lock in your own picks.

For the Tar Heels on Saturday night, the model knows that they should have a major advantage on the glass. North Carolina is one of the best rebounding teams in the country on both ends of the floor. They grab 35.2 percent of available offensive rebounds and snatch 76.3 percent of defensive rebounds, ranking inside the top 20 in the country in both those figures.

Against Clemson, it will be that ability to hold teams to single-shot possessions that will be key, as the Tigers rank 209th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage. Luke Maye is a dominant force on the glass on both ends, leading North Carolina and ranking second in the ACC with 9.9 rebounds per game. He’s helped North Carolina win the rebounding margin by an average of nearly nine boards per game in conference play and a disparity like that could make things tough on Clemson on Saturday.

However, the Tigers have a great chance to cover the North Carolina vs. Clemson spread on Saturday as they look to defend their home floor. 

The Clemson defense is one of the stingiest in the nation. The Tigers rank 20th in Division-I in point per game against, 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency and second in conference play in points allowed and that’s largely due to their experience both on the perimeter and inside.

Marcquise Reed and Shelton Mitchell use their strength to make things very difficult on opposing guards and Elijah Thomas is one of the nation’s elite rim protectors. He averages 2.1 blocks per game for the season and has taken his game to another level in ACC play, with 2.5 blocks per game in the league. If Clemson can make possessions grind for North Carolina, the Tigers will have a great chance to use the 4.5-point cushion to their advantage.

Who wins Clemson vs. North Carolina? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you should be all over, all from the model that has returned more than $4,000 to $100 players the last two years.