Three days after escaping Notre Dame with a 1-point victory, the North Carolina Tar Heels return home for their fourth ACC basketball matchup.
UNC (9-6, 2-1 ACC) will host ACC newcomer SMU on Tuesday, January 7 for a late, 9 p.m. ET tipoff. The visiting Mustangs (11-3, 2-1 ACC) got their first reality check on Saturday, January 4, receiving an 89-62 beatdown from now-ACC favorite Duke.
We still don’t know which North Carolina team we’ll get on a given game day, but we are starting to see some lineup patterns that work. It’s tough seeing Seth Trimble miss time with an upper-body injury, but as a result, we’re seeing why Ian Jackson should continue to start.
The Tar Heels don’t need to win every game by double-digits, they just need to win. Head coach Hubert Davis agreed after the Notre Dame game, saying he hopes Saturday’s close win will help his players grow.
UNC enters a stretch of winnable games, starting with SMU. North Carolina makes the short trip down to Raleigh on Saturday, Jan. 11, then returns home to host another ACC newcomer in Cal on the 15th. Stanford and Boston College come to Chapel Hill, with a tough road test at Wake Forest sandwiched between.
Can the Tar Heels start to quell doubts – about their ability to play good basketball – against the Mustangs? Will being back in the Dean Dome be the boost UNC needs to embark on a red-hot stretch?
If you’re making the trip to Chapel Hill, enjoy the game. If you can’t make the SMU game, we’ll tell you how to watch below.
What channel is North Carolina vs. SMU on today? Time, TV schedule
TV Channel:Â ACC Network
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Where to watch UNC vs. SMU on live stream
Watch UNC vs. SMU live on Fubo (free trial)
UNC vs. SMU prediction, picks, odds
We’re hoping North Carolina’s 1-point win on Saturday is just what it needs to start a hot streak. The Tar Heels got contributions from everyone, including an unlikely 3-pointer from Elliot Cadeau, who sank the ensuing, game-winning free throw.
UNC returns home to face an SMU squad that, despite having 11 wins, got stomped by 27 at home against Duke. North Carolina has a small bit of momentum heading into Tuesday’s matchup, while the Mustangs may still be rattled.
The Tar Heels start and finish strong, playing what proves to be their most complete game of the season.
Prediction: North Carolina 85, SMU 70
College Basketball Odds via OddsShark
SPREAD: North Carolina -7.5
MONEYLINE: SMU +260, North Carolina -333
O/U TOTAL: 168 total points
Tar Heels full schedule
Oct. 12: Blue-White Scrimmage (Blue 62, White 53)
Oct. 15: Exhibition @ Memphis (W, 84-76)
Oct. 27: Exhibition vs. Johnson C. Smith (W, 127-63)
Nov. 4: vs. Elon (W, 90-76) (1-0, 0-0)
Nov. 8: at Kansas (L, 92-89) (1-1, 0-0)
Nov. 15: vs. American University (W, 108-55) (2-1, 0-0)
Nov. 22: at Hawaii (W, 87-69) (3-1, 0-0)
Nov. 25: vs. Dayton, Maui Invitational (W, 92-90) (4-1, 0-0)
Nov. 26: vs. Auburn, Maui Invitational (L, 85-72) (4-2, 0-0)
Nov. 27: vs. Michigan State, Maui Invitational (L, 94-90 OT) (4-3, 0-0)
Dec. 4: vs. Alabama, SEC/ACC Challenge (L, 94-79) (4-4, 0-0)
Dec. 7: vs. Georgia Tech (W, 68-65) (5-4, 1-0)
Dec. 14: vs. La Salle (W, 93-67) (6-4, 1-0)
Dec. 17: vs. Florida, Jumpman Invitational (L, 90-84) (6-5, 1-0)
Dec. 21: vs. UCLA, CBS Sports Classic (W, 76-74)
Dec. 29: vs. Campbell (W, 97-81) (8-5, 1-0)
Jan. 1: at Louisville (L, 83-70) (8-6, 1-1)
Jan. 4: at Notre Dame (W, 74-73) (9-6, 2-1)
Jan. 7: vs. SMU
Jan. 11: at NC State
Jan. 15: vs. California
Jan. 18: vs. Stanford
Jan. 21: at Wake Forest
Jan. 25: vs. Boston College
Jan. 28: at Pitt
Feb. 1: at Duke
Feb. 8: vs. Pitt
Feb. 10: at Clemson
Feb. 15: at Syracuse
Feb. 19: vs. NC State
Feb. 22: vs. Virginia
Feb. 24: at Florida State
March 1: vs. Miami (FL)
March 4: at Virginia Tech
March 8: vs. Duke
March 11-15: ACC Tournament (Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC)
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire : What channel is UNC-SMU basketball on today? Time, TV schedule for January 7 ACC clash
