North Carolina vs VCU College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for NCAA Tournament First Round

An opening-round NCAA Tournament matchup will see the 11th-seeded VCU Rams (27-7) play against the No. 6 seed North Carolina Tar Heels (24-8) on Thursday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The contest begins at 6:50 p.m. ET, on TNT.

Before you place your bet on this game at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

North Carolina vs. VCU Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Thursday, March 19, 2026
• Game time: 6:50 p.m. ET
• TV channel: TNT
• Location: Greenville, South Carolina
• Arena: Bon Secours Wellness Arena

North Carolina vs. VCU Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: VCU win (51.3%)

Take a look at some betting trends for North Carolina (-2.5) versus VCU on Thursday. The total has been set at 152.5 points for this game.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

North Carolina vs. VCU: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• North Carolina has won 19 games against the spread this season, while failing to cover 13 times.
• VCU is 18-16-0 ATS this year.
• North Carolina (11-9) covers a higher percentage of games when it is favored by 2.5 points or more this season (55%) than VCU (2-2) does as a 2.5+-point underdog (50%).
• The Tar Heels have done a better job covering the spread at home (12-6-0) than they have in road games (5-5-0).
• The Rams have performed better against the spread on the road (6-4-0) than at home (7-10-0) this year.

North Carolina vs. VCU: Moneyline Betting Stats

• North Carolina has been the moneyline favorite in 21 games this season and has come away with the win 18 times (85.7%) in those contests.
• This season, the Tar Heels have been victorious 16 times in 18 chances when named as a favorite of at least -146 or better on the moneyline.
• VCU has won one of the five games it was the underdog on the moneyline this season (20%).
• The Rams have played in four games as a moneyline underdog with odds of +122 or longer without claiming a victory.
• North Carolina has an implied victory probability of 59.3% according to the moneyline set by sportsbooks for this matchup.

North Carolina vs. VCU Head-to-Head Comparison

• North Carolina's +271 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 8.5 points per game) is a result of scoring 79.8 points per game (85th in college basketball) while giving up 71.3 per contest (109th in college basketball).
• Caleb Wilson's team-leading 19.9 points per game ranks 35th in the country.
• VCU is outscoring opponents by 10.1 points per game, with a +343 scoring differential overall. It puts up 81.6 points per game (55th in college basketball) and gives up 71.5 per contest (112th in college basketball).
• Terrence Hill Jr.'s team-leading 14.4 points per game rank him 356th in college basketball.
• The Tar Heels average 34.7 rebounds per game (52nd in college basketball) while conceding 30.1 per contest to their opponents. They outrebound opponents by 4.6 boards per game.
• Wilson is 21st in college basketball play with 9.4 rebounds per game to lead the Tar Heels.
• The Rams win the rebound battle by 3.4 boards on average. They record 33.6 rebounds per game, 94th in college basketball, while their opponents grab 30.2.
• Lazar Djokovic is 450th in the country with 5.4 rebounds per game, leading the Rams.
• North Carolina's 102.6 points per 100 possessions on offense rank 66th in college basketball, and the 91.7 points it allows per 100 possessions rank 85th in college basketball.
• The Rams score 104.3 points per 100 possessions (41st in college basketball), while conceding 91.4 points per 100 possessions (79th in college basketball).

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!