North Carolina leads the series with Louisville four games to two straight up since becoming ACC rivals four seasons ago, with the teams splitting those six meetings against the spread.

The Tar Heels and Cardinals hook up for the first of at least two meetings this season on Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill.

College basketball point spread: The Tar Heels opened as 12-point favorites; the total is at 159.5, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

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Why Louisville can cover the spread

Louisville is looking to bounce back after taking a tough 89-86 overtime loss at Pittsburgh Wednesday night.

The Cardinals trailed the Panthers 38-28 at the half and by 13 points with five minutes to go but used a 17-4 run to force OT.

Louisville then scored the first bucket of overtime but missed its last four shots to lose.

The Cardinals shot 46 percent from the field and won the battle on the boards 41-31. But they also turned the ball over 18 times, which proved costly.

Louisville has now outrebounded eight of its last nine opponents. The Cardinals are also 4-3 ATS against Power 5 opponents this season, with an overtime loss/cover against Marquette and an overtime upset over Michigan State. And they're 4-2 ATS as underdogs.

Why North Carolina can cover the spread

UNC carries a four-game winning streak into Saturday, which includes four straight covers, after beating what was a hot North Carolina State team in Raleigh on Tuesday night 90-82.

The Heels scored the first 12 points of the game, led by five at the half, let the Wolfpack tie the score at 53-53 early in the second half but went on a 9-0 run, holding North Carolina State scoreless for five key minutes to take control.

North Carolina hit its last six free-throws to secure the outright victory as a dog of 1.5 points.

The Tar Heels outshot the Wolfpack from the floor 45 percent to 43 percent, hit 10 of 25 shots from three-point range, made 22 of 26 from the charity stripe and won the battle on the glass 51-33.

Last Saturday, North Carolina pounded Pitt 85-60, covering as a 10-point favorite. UNC has outrebounded seven of its last eight opponents. It's also 7-0 SU and 4-1-2 ATS at the Dean Dome this season.

Louisville vs. North Carolina college basketball betting pick

North Carolina won the only meeting between these teams last season 93-76, and it should win this game as well. But the Heels probably won't lead this one 12-0 out of the gate.

Meanwhile, Louisville should put on a better performance than it did Wednesday night. Plus, playing at home inflates the spread a few points toward UNC. The smart money here likes the Cardinals and the points.

OddsShark computer pick: 81.4-72.3, Tar Heels (Get college basketball picks on every game via the OddsShark computer)

College basketball betting trends

The total has gone under in six of Louisville's last nine games.

The total has gone under in five of North Carolina's last five games.

Louisville is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games.

All college basketball odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.