UNC vs. Ole Miss Prediction, Odds, Key Players to Watch for NCAA Tournament First Round

Iain MacMillan | Mar 20, 2025

UNC is a small favorite against Ole Miss in the Round of 64. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Many people believed the UNC Tar Heels didn't deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament, but they responded to that by dominating San Diego State in the play-in game.

As a reward, they've earned the right to take on Ole Miss in the Round of 64 on Friday. Not only will the Tar Heels take on the Rebels, but UNC has been set as the betting favorite. Let's take a look.

UNC vs. Ole Miss Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook

Spread

• UNC -1.5 (-115)
• Ole Miss +1.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• UNC -130
• Ole Miss +105

Total

• OVER 155.5 (-115)
• UNDER 155.5 (-105)

UNC vs. Ole Miss How to Watch

• Date: Friday, March 21
• Game Time: 4:05 PM EST
• Venue: Fiserv Forum
• How to Watch (TV): TNT
• UNC Record: 23-13
• Ole Miss Record: 22-11

UNC vs. Ole Miss Best Prop Bets

UNC Prop Bet

• Ven-Allen Lubin 10+ Rebounds (+154) via FanDuel

Van-Allen Lubin started to rack up boards late in the season when he started to get more playing time. He reached 10+ rebounds in all three ACC Tournament games. He's not in a great spot to reach double-digit once again as he faces an Ole Miss team that's 322nd in rebounding percentage.

Ole Miss Prop Bet

• Jaemyn Brakefield OVER 11.5 Points (+100) via FanDuel

UNC has a bit of a fouling problem, averaging 16.8 personal fouls per game which ranks 179th in the country. With that in mind, I'm going to back Jaemyn Brakefield to go OVER 11.5 points at +100. He is a master of drawing fouls, taking 19 more free throws this season than any other player on the team despite playing an average of just 22.8 minutes per game. If he can find a way to get to the line, he has a great chance of going over this number.

UNC vs. Ole Miss Prediction and Pick

UNC may not have deserved a spot in the tournament based on their record, but now that the Tar Heels are here, make no mistake about it, they're a good basketball team. They head into the Round of 64 ranking 52nd in the country in effective field goal percentage, well above Ole Miss who ranks 158th (51.1%).

While UNC comes into this game with momentum, the opposite is true for Ole Miss, who stumbled down the stretch. They went just 3-4 in their last eight games while sporting an eFG% of just 44.5% over their last three games, over 6% worse than their season average.

I'll back the Tar Heels as a small favorite on Friday.

Pick: UNC -1.5 (-115) via BetMGM

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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