Picks for 2/23/26
College Basketball
7:00 PM EST
Rotation #891
Louisville -2.5 over North Carolina (loss)
The Louisville Cardinals are a better team on paper, but they have been average on the road, and their high turnover rate prevents them from being a top-10 team. The question is, can a short-handed Tar Heels team take advantage? 5-star sensation Mikel Brown has been electric as of late, as he and Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell will look to fire away the three-ball against a subpar UNC three-point defense. Louisville is a great rebounding team that will look to earn second-chance points. UNC is anticipating the return of Caleb Wilson, but is happy to have Henri Veesaar in the lineup, who helps them in the paint. I don’t know if UNC has the consistent guard play to capitalize on Louisville’s mishaps or to match Louisville’s tempo for 40 minutes. If it turns into a three-point contest, I trust the Cardinals a lot more. The Cardinals should be the better team on both offense and defense. I don’t like the Tar Heels’ chances with Wilson still on the sidelines. Take Louisville.
7:00 PM EST
Rotation #891
Louisville -2.5 over North Carolina (loss)
The Louisville Cardinals are a better team on paper, but they have been average on the road, and their high turnover rate prevents them from being a top-10 team. The question is, can a short-handed Tar Heels team take advantage? 5-star sensation Mikel Brown has been electric as of late, as he and Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell will look to fire away the three-ball against a subpar UNC three-point defense. Louisville is a great rebounding team that will look to earn second-chance points. UNC is anticipating the return of Caleb Wilson, but is happy to have Henri Veesaar in the lineup, who helps them in the paint. I don’t know if UNC has the consistent guard play to capitalize on Louisville’s mishaps or to match Louisville’s tempo for 40 minutes. If it turns into a three-point contest, I trust the Cardinals a lot more. The Cardinals should be the better team on both offense and defense. I don’t like the Tar Heels’ chances with Wilson still on the sidelines. Take Louisville.