College Basketball Preview: Florida Gators vs. North Carolina Tar Heels – Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024

The Jumpman Invitational is approaching with the North Carolina Tar Heels (6-4) taking on the seventh-ranked Florida Gators (10-0) on Tuesday, December 17 at 7:00 PM ET at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Gators are favored with a point spread at -4.5 (-110).

North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Preview

The Tar Heels have found success over their last two games. Their most recent win was a 93-67 outing over the La Salle Explorers, where they had control of the game with ease.

They were up 42-25 at the half and did not hold back in the second. Despite allowing more points in the second half, the Tar Heels still managed to make their message clear. Cade Tyson led with 23 points on nine of 14 shot attempts.

The Tar Heels had no issue getting the ball in the basket with 53.7 percent shooting from the field, but dipped a little lower with a 32.3 percent shooting from three. They allowed the Explorers to get 35.6 percent of their shots to fall and 34.5 percent from deep.

Their offense has been adding 86.8 points per game and shooting 46.9 percent from the field. On defense they have allowed teams to average 78.7 points a game, showing a slight margin of error.

Florida Gators Betting Preview

The Gators are aiming to stay unbeaten with their 11th game of the year coming up. Their most recent loss was an 83-66 outing over the Arizona State Sun Devils, where they had a steady performance in both halves of action.

Walter Clayton Jr. led in scoring with 25 points and shot 44.4 percent from the field. Alijah Martin added 15 points and led the team with both 11 rebounds and six assists. Both will need to have another strong showing in their upcoming battle to stay on track.

They connected on 47.8 percent of their shots and 33.3 percent from deep. The defense allowed 37.1 percent of shots from the Sun Devils to go in, with 28.0 percent of their threes from landing. One key area was rebounding, as the Gators dominated 47-27 on the boards.

The Gators are putting up 86.2 points per game and making 47.3 percent of their shot attempts. Their defense has been even better at holding teams to 65.1 points a game. This is an excellent ratio, but will be tough to keep up.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie has you covered for the Jumpman Invitational odds, which currently shows the Gators as 4.5-point favorites. Market analysis suggests the Tar Heels are favored to win with a 50.2 percent chance of success.

The Gators will have a good test here, especially in the home state of the Tar Heels. However, the Gators pose a real threat and should be able to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Florida Gators -4.5 (-110)