In the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, we are treated to a great first round matchup of Ole Miss vs North Carolina. The Rebels got an at-large bid after finishing seventh in the SEC. North Carolina was able to sneak into the tournament as an at-large and beat San Diego State in the play-in game.
Below, we will preview this March Madness college basketball game, giving the Ole Miss vs North Carolina overview, trends and our expert pick! Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
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Ole Miss vs North Carolina Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2025 NCAA Tournament
No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (22-11) vs. No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels (23-13)
Date: Friday, March 21, 2025
Time: 4:05 PM EST
Venue: Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee, WI
Coverage: TNT
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Ole Miss vs North Carolina March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Ole Miss vs North Carolina can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: MISS: (-130) | UNC: (+110)
Point Spread: MISS: +2 (-110) | UNC: -2 (-110)
Total: 156 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| Ole Miss | 27 | 117.8 (33) | 95.9 (23) | 68.1 (131) |
| North Carolina | 30 | 119.8 (18) | 99.3 (54) | 70.6 (34) |
Ole Miss vs North Carolina College Basketball Trends
- Ole Miss is 3-2 in its last five games.
- North Carolina is 3-2 in its last five games.
- Ole Miss is 11-2 in non-conference play this season.
- North Carolina is 8-5 in non-conference play this season.
- Ole Miss has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2019.
- North Carolina is 8-3 in the NCAA Tournament since 2020
Ole Miss vs North Carolina Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
We get a great first-round matchup between the Ole Miss Rebels and North Carolina Tar Heels here. It is odd to see a higher seed being favored in a first-round game, but with the way that North Carolina has been playing recently, it makes some sort of sense.
The Tar Heels are led once again by RJ Davis, who is averaging 17.3 points per game (PPG) this season on 41.5% shooting from the field and 36.2% shooting from behind the three-point line. Supporting Davis is rookie Ian Jackson, who is scoring the ball at a 12.3 PPG clip. Seth Trimble rounds out the three-headed scoring attack at guard, averaging 11.7 PPG. More than scoring, Trimble has become the de-facto perimeter defender for the Heels and has done a great job shutting down opposing teams’ star guards.
For the Rebels, they feature six players who average in double figures. That scoring output is led by Sean Pedulla (14.9 PPG on 43.4% shooting from the field). Going along with the double-digit scoring from the six players, they all shoot better than 30% from behind the three-point arc. Jaemyn Brakefield is Ole Miss’ inside presence, averaging 10.8 PPG and shooting 50.8% from the field. In all, Mississippi scores 77.2 PPG, while giving up 71.7 PPG to opponents.
Ole Miss having six players who average double digits is a great selling point for why they should win this game, but with how well North Carolina has been playing as of late on both sides of the ball, should slow that narrative down a little bit. The Tar Heels should have the advantage on the inside, with Ven-Allen Lubin and James Washington playing quality ball right now. Given the fact that they are playing with a chip on their shoulder, I think you almost have to pick the Tar Heels in this spot.
For our Ole Miss vs North Carolina prediction, we are picking the North Carolina Tar Heels to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
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