North Carolina vs Stanford

North Carolina’s 8-wins-in-9 surge and 14-2 record, capped by the tight Wake Forest win, gives them the stronger current form than a 13-4 Stanford squad that’s just 3-2 over its last five, even with Maples Pavilion on its side. With no injuries listed for the Tar Heels and Stanford potentially down frontcourt depth pieces Kristers Skrinda, Tallis Toure and Evan Stinson, UNC’s projected starting five of Kyan Evans, Seth Trimble, Jarin Stevenson, Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar should be close to full strength and able to lean on its size and top-tier defensive efficiency. Caleb Wilson’s double-double production and Veesaar’s interior scoring give UNC a notable rebounding and paint edge against an Ebuka Okorie-led Cardinal offense that relies heavily on its star guard, and while last year’s 72-71 Stanford upset in Chapel Hill proves this matchup can get nervy late, it also fuels a clear revenge angle. Factoring in North Carolina’s superior overall metrics, cleaner injury report and slightly better recent form, I’m backing the Tar Heels on the moneyline at -167 with a B-grade—solid edge to UNC, but road variance and Stanford’s home-court bump keep it shy of elite value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 14/01/2026 09:49. Sources: ([sports.iheart.com](https://sports.iheart.com/content/2026-01-14-north-carolina-vs-stanford-time-tv-stream-jan-14/?utm_source=openai))

Stanford’s 3-2 stretch and North Carolina’s 8-1 run have both leaned toward lower-scoring profiles overall, with the Tar Heels sitting 5-11 to the under and the Cardinal 6-11 to the under on the season, suggesting totals have been a bit inflated in their games. With UNC effectively healthy and Stanford only possibly missing some reserve frontcourt pieces, both rotations should mostly be intact, but the key here is a Tar Heel defense allowing roughly 67 points per game on about 38% opponent shooting facing a Stanford attack that can stagnate when high-usage scorer Ebuka Okorie doesn’t get efficient help. Caleb Wilson’s rebounding and rim protection, paired with Henri Veesaar’s length, should make life tougher for Okorie and limit easy paint touches, and both teams hover in the mid-30s from three-point range, pointing more to grind-it-out half-court possessions than a full-on shootout. With a total around 143.5 that sits slightly above what their combined defensive efficiency and under-heavy trends suggest, I lean to Under 143.5 at -110, assigning a B- grade because late-game fouling and Okorie’s ability to heat up from deep still leave some risk of a narrow over. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 14/01/2026 09:49. Sources: ([covers.com](https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/NCAAB/matchup/367197?utm_source=openai))

Ebuka Okorie’s shot creation is a major reason Stanford has managed a 3-2 record over its last five despite some inconsistency, and catching +2.5 at home against a North Carolina team that’s 8-1 in that span but only modestly above .500 against the number makes the Cardinal an intriguing underdog. UNC is now close to full strength with Seth Trimble back from his early-season absence, while Stanford lists depth forwards Kristers Skrinda, Tallis Toure and Evan Stinson as questionable, which may nudge the Cardinal toward smaller, quicker lineups around Okorie, Benny Gealer and Ryan Agarwal to pull UNC’s big front line away from the rim. North Carolina’s projected starters — Evans, Trimble, Stevenson, Wilson and Veesaar — have been excellent overall, but they’ve shown a pattern of building double-digit leads and then letting teams back in, and the recent series history includes three single-digit finals in four meetings, highlighted by last season’s 72-71 Stanford win in Chapel Hill. Given that mix of recent streaks, minor injury concerns skewing Stanford’s rotation but not its stars, and a proven track record of tight head-to-head games, I’ll take Stanford +2.5 at -120 with a B- grade, expecting UNC to be slightly more likely to win outright while the Cardinal stay within one possession. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 14/01/2026 09:49. Sources: ([oddscrowd.com](https://oddscrowd.com/games/north-carolina-vs-stanford-ncaab-january-15-2026/5496012/game-preview?utm_source=openai))