North Carolina vs SMU Prediction, Picks & Odds | 03 Jan 2026

College Basketball Betting Preview: North Carolina vs SMU

The North Carolina Tar Heels go up against the SMU Mustangs, with tip-off scheduled for 14:15 on Saturday, January 3.

We think that SMU should prove too strong for North Carolina. Therefore, it’s all about going to the Moneyline to back the home team and there’s lots of juice in the -104 on offer.

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North Carolina Tar Heels won their previous game which was at home. It was a 79-66 triumph against Florida State Seminoles.

SMU Mustangs last game saw them claim a 110-63 home win over Cal State Fullerton Titans.

Head-to-Head Statistics

North Carolina triumphed 82-67 when they last played SMU.

NCAAB	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
North Carolina	13-1	1137	892	245	11-0	2-1	7W
SMU	11-2	1184	994	190	10-0	1-2	2W

View Full Standings

North Carolina vs SMU Prediction & Picks

Make the most of North Carolina vs SMU with our betting analysis that includes an expert match prediction, expected scoreline and a hand-picked bet builder designed for value.

Game Prediction

SMU look great value on the Moneyline and our pick is that they will claim a victory. We’re happy to take the -104 that the home team triumph in this college showdown.

Incoming team news often impacts the betting lines and odds in significant ways. Our college hoops handicappers factor this in alongside recent form, while key stats are also carefully weighed to strengthen each basketball pick.

Key North Carolina vs SMU stats:

• SMU have won 10 consecutive games at home.
• SMU have won 16 of their last 20 games at home.

SMU Moneyline Probability

The top betting apps imply that our pick has a 51% prospect of delivering a return. In the opinion of our cappers, there’s actually a probability of success closer to 60%. This is why we can recommend this college basketball wager.

Those looking for a bigger price about a victory for SMU can check out the Match Result & Total lines. You can combine this moneyline pick with an Under / Over points prediction for more juice.

Before your next wager, read our guide featuring today’s top betting offers, free bet deals, and sign-up bonuses.

Our Game Prediction

SMU Moneyline @ -104 Bet Now

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Correct Score Prediction

North Carolina 78 - 82 SMU

We’re expecting a close contest so it might be worth going for the Mustangs to win by a 82-78 scoreline. You can get a massive price and we should hopefully get a run for our money.

North Carolina vs SMU Odds

The odds and lines are updated on a frequent basis. You might therefore find that they are different to the ones listed for the above betting predictions.

You can choose SMU at -104 or alternatively North Carolina who have betting odds of -115. From a percentage point-of-view, the leading sportsbooks give the visiting team a 53% chance of success.

There is a spread of 1.5 and total points has a line of 154.5. The advantage of the Totals is that you only have to choose from one of two options. The Over 154.5 selection is available to back at -110.

If you’re betting on college basketball, we recommend heading to the top betting sites and scanning through the wide range of team props and game lines. There’s the opportunity to wager pre-game and in-game.

Moneyline

UNC

-115

SMU

-104

Point Spread

UNC -1.5

-100

SMU +1.5

-122

Total Points

Under 154.5

-110

Over 154.5

-110

The best gambling sites offer player prop betting to their customers. These can be a great alternative if you want to focus on an individual’s performance within a game and it often involves wagering over or under a line.

There are some exciting college basketball micro betting lines that are created and they are available in-game. Among them are Next Field Goal, where you select if the shot will be a two or three-pointer. The long-ball option pays better, and in today’s game, you can never discount the three-pointer.

Latest regular season and playoff games stats.

North Carolina Stats

SMU Stats

Moneyline

• 9 wins and 1 defeat in the last 10 games
• 7 wins and 3 defeats in the last 10 games on the road

Moneyline

• 8 wins and 2 defeats in the last 10 games
• 10 wins and 0 defeats in the last 10 home games

Point Spread

• -1.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 8 of the last 10 games
• -1.5 Betting Line on the Road: Have covered the spread in 6 of the last 10 games on the road

Point Spread

• +1.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 8 of the last 10 games
• +1.5 Betting Line at Home: Have covered the spread in the last 10 home games

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 140.70 pts in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals on the Road: An average of 147.50 pts in the previous 10 games on the road
• Over 153.5: Covered in 1 of the previous 10 games
• Over 153.5 on the Road: Covered in 3 of the previous 10 games on the road
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 77.00 pts and allowed 63.70 pts in the last 10 games
• Team Totals on the Road: Have scored an average of 76.90 pts and allowed 70.60 pts in the last 10 games on the road

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 168.60 pts in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals at Home: An average of 168.70 pts in the previous 10 home games
• Over 153.5: Covered in the previous 10 games
• Over 153.5 at Home: Covered in 9 of the previous 10 home games
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 91.70 pts and allowed 76.90 pts in the last 10 games
• Team Totals at Home: Have scored an average of 95.10 pts and allowed 73.60 pts in the last 10 home games

NCAAB Table Select Season 2025/20262024/20252023/20242022/20232021/20222020/20212019/2020

Atlantic Coast	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
North Carolina	13-1	1137	892	245	11-0	2-1	7W
Duke	12-1	1131	830	301	9-0	3-1	1W
Miami	12-2	1239	949	290	10-1	2-1	7W
Virginia Tech	12-2	1175	1029	146	10-0	2-2	6W
California	12-2	1150	957	193	12-1	0-1	1L
SMU	11-2	1184	994	190	10-0	1-2	2W
Virginia	11-2	1131	893	238	9-0	2-2	1L
Stanford	12-3	1184	1063	121	8-3	4-0	1W
Clemson	11-3	1100	917	183	9-0	2-3	4W
Louisville	11-3	1265	968	297	8-0	3-3	1L
NC State	10-4	1218	995	223	9-2	1-2	3W
Notre Dame	10-4	1044	929	115	8-1	2-3	1W
Syracuse	9-5	1031	907	124	8-2	1-3	1L
Wake Forest	9-5	1148	1036	112	7-2	2-3	2L
Georgia Tech	9-5	1074	999	75	9-2	0-3	1L
Boston College	7-6	918	867	51	6-5	1-1	2W
Florida State	7-7	1171	1097	74	7-3	0-4	1L
Pittsburgh	7-7	1031	957	74	6-3	1-4	1L

• Overall = Overall Wins-Losses
• PF = Total Points For
• PA = Total Points Against
• N. Pts = Point Differential
• Home = Home Record
• Away = Away Record
• Strk = Current Streak

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