The Ohio State Buckeyes and the North Carolina Tar Heels will square off on Saturday at the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta. Both teams enter the game in strong form, with the Tar Heels holding a 10–1 record and the Buckeyes sitting at 8–2. Who will come out on top in this neutral-site matchup on the hardwood? Continue reading to find out who I like as I make my Ohio State vs North Carolina prediction.
Our Ohio State vs North Carolina Pick
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Ohio State Buckeyes @ North Carolina Tar Heels
- Date & Time: December 20, 2025, 3:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
- Broadcast: CBS
Key Storylines
North Carolina has built an impressive 10–1 record, riding a four-game win streak and showing strength on the glass with 42.1 rebounds per game. The Tar Heels possess a formidable frontcourt anchored by freshman Caleb Wilson, who averages 19.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Fellow big man Henri Veesaar is contributing 16.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per outing. There’s also optimism around the possible return of senior guard Seth Trimble from injury, which would bolster UNC’s backcourt for this high-profile game.
Ohio State enters off a thrilling double-overtime win over West Virginia and a loss to Illinois in one of their first conference games. The Buckeyes’ offense is prolific, averaging 87.6 points per game, led by Bruce Thornton at 21.8 points per contest with support from John Mobley Jr. and Christoph Tilly. Despite this scoring ability, Ohio State has faced challenges defensively against high-level competition and will need to improve that facet of their game to overcome Carolina’s size and interior presence.
This game is being played at a neutral venue in Atlanta. It will be interesting to see what the crowd looks like for this contest. We could still see a good chunk of fans from both of these programs. But it’s also possible that Kentucky Wildcats fans make up a huge amount of the fans in attendance, as this game is the second leg of a double-header that also features the Wildcats.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- North Carolina is 8-5 all-time against Ohio State.
- UNC has won three of the last four games between these programs.
- The Tar Heels are 7-4 against the spread this season.
- Ohio State has a 4-6 record against the spread.
- North Carolina is 2-9 in the over/under market this year, going under the total consistently.
- The over has cashed in 6 of Ohio State’s first 10 games.
Ohio State vs North Carolina Model Projection
Final Thoughts
