North Carolina vs. Miami Prediction, Online Live Stream, TV Info

North Carolina vs. Miami prediction, online live stream and TV broadcast information for Saturday’s game.

The No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels will host the No. 11 Miami Hurricanes at the Smith Center Saturday, with the winner claiming first place in the ACC.

The Tar Heels (21-5, 10-3 ACC) are coming off a heartbreaking loss to hated rival Duke on Wednesday night. In the final minute, the Blue Devils held a slim one-point lead thanks to a pair of Grayson Allen free throws. After a Kennedy Meeks missed layup, Allen missed a jumper at the other end leaving North Carolina 24 seconds to win the game. With the ball in his hands and the clock winding down, Joel Berry II had his shot blocked by Derryck Thornton sealing the 74-73 loss for the Tar Heels. North Carolina had a major advantage on the glass, 44-29, including 18 offensive rebounds, but the Tar Heels’ struggles from deep cost them. UNC hit on just one of its 13 attempts from long range while Duke connected on seven of its 19 tries. Brice Johnson had a monster game, leading all participants in points (29) and rebounds (19) for his 15th double-double of the season.

The Hurricanes (21-4, 10-3 ACC) come into Chapel Hill, N.C. on a roll having won five straight games, including a come-from-behind win over Virginia Tech last time out. Miami trailed by as many as seven in the first half but used a 14-2 run in the second half to vault them into the lead for good. The ‘Canes held the Hokies without a bucket for the first seven minutes of the second frame and outscored them, 44-27, after halftime. Miami’s defense was stifling as it held Virginia Tech to just 29.6 percent from the field and forced 16 turnovers. Four of the five Hurricane starters landed in double figures led by Angel Rodriguez, who totaled 14 points in 39 minutes of action.

Saturday’s meeting between Miami and North Carolina will be the 26th all-time. The Tar Heels lead the series, 19-6, but the Hurricanes have won four of the last five matchups.

Below is everything you need to know about the matchup, including the North Carolina vs. Miami prediction, online live stream and TV broadcast info, and game notes.

Live Stream, Game Broadcast Info

Venue: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC.
Date: Saturday, Feb. 20
Tipoff Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
National TV: CBS
North Carolina vs. Miami Online Live Stream: CBS Sports, UNC Radio Live Stream

Prediction

North Carolina is facing a Miami team that is very similar to the Duke team it lost to Wednesday night. The Hurricanes are talented, gritty and are not going to back down to the Tar Heels.

That being said, North Carolina has a superstar in Brice Johnson that Miami cannot match up with. Johnson posted a monster double-double (29 points, 19 rebounds) and was still underutilized. To avoid deja vu in the Dean E. Smith Center, the Heels need to run their offense through Johnson, and the rest will open up. The Tar Heels need to put the ‘Canes away early to win — can’t let them hang around.

Game Notes

Miami has won five league games in a row, its longest winning streak in ACC play since the 2012-13 season. uM is outscoring opponents by just 7.2 ppg in those five games, including a pair of two-point victories.
A win for UNC would make Roy Williams 354-106 at Carolina and tie him with Bobby Cremins for fourth-most wins in ACC history.
In four games against ranked teams, Miami is 3-1 with wins over No. 16 Utah, No. 20/22 Butler, and No. 24/20 Duke, and a loss to No. 13/11 Virginia. In those games, Sheldon McClellan averages 17.3 points per game, hitting 57.1 percent from the field.