The 2023 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament begins on Wednesday with a four-game slate in Nassau, Bahamas. The first game of the eight-team event pits the No. 14 North Carolina Tar Heels against the Northern Iowa Panthers. UNC is 3-0 this season and attempting to avenge a disappointing 2022-23 campaign. Northern Iowa is 1-2 overall and looking to return to .500 after a road loss to South Florida in its last outing.

Tipoff is at noon ET in Nassau. For this game, SportsLine consensus lists the Tar Heels as 12.5-point favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 148.5 in the latest Northern Iowa vs. North Carolina odds. Before making any North Carolina vs. Northern Iowa picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer simulation model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 3 of the 2023-24 season on an 88-57 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on UNC vs. Northern Iowa and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Northern Iowa vs. UNC:

• UNC vs. Northern Iowa spread: North Carolina -12.5
• UNC vs. Northern Iowa over/under: 148.5 points
• UNC vs. Northern Iowa money line: No. Carolina -1000, Northern Iowa +650
• UNI: The Panthers are 7-2 against the spread in the last 9 neutral-site games
• UNC: The Tar Heels are 9-8-1 against the spread in the last 18 neutral-site games
• UNC vs. Northern Iowa picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Northern Iowa can cover

Northern Iowa has a pair of standout veterans in Nate Heise and Tytan Anderson. Heise is averaging 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, and he is shooting 51.5% from the field. Anderson led the team with 8.5 rebounds per game in 2022-23, and he is putting up 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game to begin the 2023-24 campaign. As a team, Northern Iowa is making 58.0% of 2-point attempts, and the Panthers are above the national average in assists per game (15.0) and turnover avoidance. 

On defense, Northern Iowa is excellent in opponent shooting, giving up only 40.8% from the field, and the Panthers are allowing only 16.3 free throw attempts and 10.7 assists per game. Northern Iowa is also rock-solid on the defensive glass, an important trait against North Carolina, and the Tar Heels have struggled to only 31% 3-point shooting this season. See which team to pick here.

Why North Carolina can cover

Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels are led by one of the nation’s best players in Armando Bacot. Bacot is a three-time All-ACC selection and was a 2023-24 preseason All-American. He has led the ACC in rebounding in three straight seasons, and Bacot is the all-time ACC career leader in rebounding. This season, Bacot is averaging 22.7 points and 13.3 rebounds per game while shooting 61% from the field. 

With Bacot in the middle, the Tar Heels are strongly above-average in offensive rebound rate (34.6%) and defensive rebound rate (73.0%) this season. North Carolina is also in the top three of the country in allowing only 7.7 free throw attempts per game on defense. On the other end, the Tar Heels are above-average in free throw creation and free throw accuracy, with North Carolina entering this matchup with a size and athleticism advantage against Northern Iowa on a neutral floor. See which team to pick here.

How to make Northern Iowa vs. UNC picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 145 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.

So who wins North Carolina vs. Northern Iowa, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks dating back to last season, and find out.