Miami (FL) vs. North Carolina: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

The No. 3-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels will host the Miami Hurricanes tonight, hoping to extend their win streak. 

Dec. 3 was the last time the Tar Heels lost, and since then, they've won eight games in a row. In fact, they haven't really been tested much by their recent opponents, but that all changes in ACC play. 

North Carolina beat Miami both times a year ago, but the first game, the Tar Heels won by three points, and the second time, they only won by two points.

The Hurricanes are a little different team this year, and not much is expected out of them in the ACC.  

Miami is coming off a one-point loss to  No. 23 Virginia, which gives them confidence heading into the game against North Carolina. 

Expect this to be a hard-fought conference game, as Miami will come to play, ready to knock off the mighty Tar Heels. 

With that said, let's take a look at some specifics for this ACC showdown. 

When: Tuesday, Jan 10 at 9:00 p.m. ET 

Where: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC

Watch: ACC Network, ESPN3.com

Listen: WQAM 560 AM in Miami, WCHL 1360 AM in Chapel Hill

Betting Line: North Carolina (-15.5) 

Who Might Not Play for Miami 

No new injuries to report 

Who Might Not Play for North Carolina 

*According to the Chicago Tribune

F James Michael McAdoo (ankle): Doubtful 

What They're Saying 

Michelle Kaufman writes for the Miami Herald, and she tweeted a quote from Hurricanes head coach Jim Larranaga about Miami's close loss to Virginia. 

Miami will have to use that as motivation against a strong Tar Heels team. The defensive play will have to be superb tonight if the Hurricanes wish to pull the upset. 

North Carolina is first in the country in points per game with 87, and since Miami only averages 72, the defense will have be on point tonight. 

Andrew Carter covers the Tar Heels for The News and Observer, and he tweeted a fun fact about what head coach Roy Williams and his players did for the BCS National Championship Game. 

Hopefully, everyone picked Alabama, or else there could be a couple players more winded than others. I doubt Williams will make them work to hard over a wrong prediction, and he certainly shouldn't be doing it the day of the game.

Then again, the game isn't until later tonight, so an early-morning run could have been in play. This was just another example of team camaraderie. 

Miami Player to Watch 

The Tar Heels have problems with superb guard play, which is why Malcolm Grant is the Hurricane player to watch tonight. 

He leads Miami in scoring with an average of 13.9 points per game, and he is also second in the ACC in three-pointers made per game, with 2.6.

Grant was a force when these two teams played last year, and if the Hurricanes are hoping to get their first conference win on the season, Grant has to step up big-time. 

North Carolina Player to Watch 

Harrison Barnes leads the Tar Heels in scoring with an average of 17.6 points per game. He'll have to keep up his stellar play to get past a stingy Miami team. 

In the last four games, Barnes has scored 26,18, 20 and 25 points, which is the best he's been playing all season long. Conference play is the time to kick it in high gear, and Barnes is doing just that. 

The sophomore forward cannot falter, or else the Hurricanes will have a very good shot at pulling the upset. 

Key Matchup

Miami's perimeter offense vs. North Carolina's perimeter defense is the matchup to watch for tonight. The Tar Heels have been ousted by the three ball before this year, so they have to mindful of that against Miami. 

The Hurricanes can't afford to miss from beyond the arc because North Carolina is so good at rebounding. In fact, the Tar Heels are first in the nation in rebounds per game with an average of 46.8. 

Knocking down three pointers will give Miami an edge and possibly pave the way for a huge upset. 

Prediction 

The Hurricanes fight hard, but in the end, the Tar Heels are too big and powerful to fall to Miami. This will be a better game than most expect, but at home, North Carolina gets the job done and pulls away late. 

Tar Heels 79, Hurricanes 68