UNC vs. Ole Miss Betting Odds Revealed for March Madness Bracket Round of 64 Matchup

The North Carolina men's basketball team sent a message in Tuesday's First Four win over San Diego State, and the betting market took notice.

After defeating the Aztecs 95-68 in blowout fashion, the Tar Heels opened as a 1.5-point favorite over Ole Miss in the upcoming round of 64 game on DraftKings Sportsbook. That might not be notable in a regular-season matchup, but the Rebels are the No. 6 seed in the South Region.

North Carolina is the No. 11 seed.

All eyes were on the Tar Heels entering Tuesday's First Four considering they were the primary topic of debate after Selection Sunday.

Their inclusion in the Big Dance came with plenty of controversy seeing how they were an ugly 1-12 against Quad 1 opponents. That the selection committee just so happened to be chaired by their own athletic director in Bubba Cunningham did nothing to quiet that controversy.

But Tuesday's performance might have quieted it.

It was clear from the opening minutes that North Carolina was going to cruise past an overmatched San Diego State squad. RJ Davis led the way with 26 points on a blistering 6-of-6 from downtown as one of four Tar Heels in double figures.

Jae'Lyn Withers posted a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Elliot Cadeau just missed one with nine points and 12 assists. Seth Trimble also provided 16 points off the bench, and the game was essentially decided before halftime.

Perhaps the Tar Heels were motivated by some of that debate about their overall worthiness, but Las Vegas deemed them worthy of being favored over Ole Miss after such a dominant performance.

Yet defeating Ole Miss will require a better showing against a difficult nonconference opponent than the ones North Carolina turned in throughout the 2024-25 campaign.

It lost to Kansas, Auburn, Michigan State, Alabama and Florida all while picking up just one notable win over UCLA. But the slate is wiped clean for the NCAA tournament, and Friday's showdown will be one to watch against the Rebels.

Especially for those bettors who now believe in the Tar Heels after Tuesday's showing.