North Carolina vs Cal College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for Jan. 17

The California Golden Bears (13-5, 1-4 ACC) aim to stop a three-game losing streak when they host the North Carolina Tar Heels (14-3, 2-2 ACC) on January 17, 2026 at Haas Pavilion. The contest airs on ACC Network.

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. Cal Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Saturday, January 17, 2026
• Game time: 4 p.m. ET
• TV channel: ACC Network
• Location: Berkeley, California
• Arena: Haas Pavilion

North Carolina vs. Cal Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: North Carolina win (60%)

Before you decide to wager on North Carolina-Cal contest (in which North Carolina is a 6.5-point favorite and the over/under is set at 151.5 points), here are some betting trends and insights for Saturday's game.

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North Carolina vs. Cal: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• North Carolina has put together an 8-9-0 ATS record so far this year.
• Cal has compiled an 8-9-0 record against the spread this year.
• As a 6.5-point underdog or more in 2025-26, Cal is 2-3 against the spread compared to the 6-5 ATS record North Carolina racks up as a 6.5-point favorite.
• The Tar Heels had a better record against the spread at home (7-8-0) than they did on the road (4-8-0) last season.
• Last year, the Golden Bears were 7-9-0 at home against the spread (.438 winning percentage). Away, they were 10-3-0 ATS (.769).
• North Carolina has no wins against the spread in conference play this season.
• Cal has posted one ACC win against the spread this year.

North Carolina vs. Cal: Moneyline Betting Stats

• North Carolina has been victorious in 12, or 92.3%, of the 13 contests it has been chosen as moneyline favorites in this season.
• The Tar Heels have not lost in 10 games this year when favored by -295 or better on the moneyline.
• Cal has won 16.7% of the games this season it was the underdog on the moneyline (1-5).
• In games they have played as a moneyline underdog with odds of +235 or longer, the Golden Bears have a record of 1-4 (20%).
• North Carolina has an implied victory probability of 74.7% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.

North Carolina vs. Cal Head-to-Head Comparison

• North Carolina averages 82.2 points per game (87th in college basketball) while allowing 68.7 per outing (66th in college basketball). It has a +229 scoring differential overall and outscores opponents by 13.5 points per game.
• Caleb Wilson's team-leading 20 points per game ranks 35th in college basketball.
• Cal is outscoring opponents by 8.4 points per game, with a +152 scoring differential overall. It puts up 78.5 points per game (143rd in college basketball) and gives up 70.1 per outing (94th in college basketball).
• Dai Dai Ames is ranked 118th in the nation with a team-high 17.3 points per game.
• The 37.5 rebounds per game the Tar Heels average rank 26th in the country, and are 9.3 more than the 28.2 their opponents pull down per outing.
• Wilson averages 10.9 rebounds per game (ranking sixth in college basketball) to lead the Tar Heels.
• The Golden Bears rank 276th in college basketball at 30.6 rebounds per game. That's 1.1 fewer than the 31.7 their opponents average.
• Lee Dort's 7.6 rebounds per game lead the Golden Bears and rank 101st in college basketball.
• North Carolina averages 103.9 points per 100 possessions on offense (64th in college basketball), and gives up 86.8 points per 100 possessions (50th in college basketball).
• The Golden Bears rank 101st in college basketball with 101.6 points scored per 100 possessions, and 116th defensively with 90.6 points conceded per 100 possessions.

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