North Carolina vs. South Carolina Prediction, Women's College Basketball Odds & Best Bets (11/8)

Fact checked at 8:15 AM ET, Nov 8, 2026

Odds as of 7:06 AM ET, Nov 8, 2026

No. 12 North Carolina (0-1) and No. 1 South Carolina (1-0) meet at 5:30 PM ET in Charlotte, a neutral floor for both. South Carolina is a 13.5-point favorite and the total is 144.5. Both teams opened the season in Paris, and both gave up more than 90 points. South Carolina led Maryland 61-33 at halftime and by as many as 31, then hung on 101-93 after Maryland cut it to six late. North Carolina trailed Oklahoma by one at the break, lost the third quarter 31-14 and fell 91-79.

Look for a slower, uglier game than either opener. North Carolina presses and drops into zones, the same looks that slowed South Carolina during Maryland's second-half rally, and the Tar Heels' own offense isn't built to pile up points. Something like 74-63, with South Carolina in the 70s and North Carolina in the 60s, stays under the total and inside the number.

North Carolina vs. South Carolina Predictions

• Pick #1: Under 144.5 (-108)
• Pick #2: North Carolina +13.5 (-110)

PICK #1: Under 144.5 (-108)

North Carolina's offense is the main reason to expect a low score. The Tar Heels shot 29 of 86 (33.7%) against Oklahoma, made 11 of 40 threes and went 10 of 17 at the line. They're also still without senior forward Ciera Toomey, their leading returning scorer and rebounder, who has missed both exhibitions and the opener with a lower-body issue. Her status for this game hasn't been announced.

Both programs build around defense. South Carolina's beat writer put the Paris scores down to turnovers and poor shot selection more than to the defenses, and each team gave it away 17 times in its opener, early-season mistakes. Two public power ratings both project this game to finish in the 130s.

The Under at -108 implies a 51.9% chance. What beats it is a repeat of those Paris openers. Both openers went well over, at 194 and 170 points, and North Carolina's game moved fast: Oklahoma's 21 turnovers fed 22 Tar Heel fast-break points. If the press creates that kind of chaos again, 144.5 goes quickly.

PICK #2: North Carolina +13.5 (-110)

Maryland already showed how to slow South Carolina. The Terrapins pressed, played zone in the second half, made 13 of 30 threes for the game and turned a 31-point deficit into a six-point finish. North Carolina also presses full court and drops into multiple zones in the half court, and it forced 21 turnovers with 16 steals against Oklahoma, scoring 27 points off them. That pressure is how the Tar Heels stay inside 13.5.

One public power rating makes South Carolina a single-digit favorite, well short of this number, and the last regular-season meeting, in Chapel Hill, was a 65-58 South Carolina win. The -110 price sets the bar at 52.4%.

South Carolina has still won the last four meetings, the most recent 88-41 in the 2024 NCAA tournament, and North Carolina's opener shooting leaves no cushion if the Gamecocks get hot. Toomey's absence also thins the frontcourt against Joyce Edwards, who scored 23 in the opener. If Toomey plays, that helps this pick. If she sits again, the number already reflects a team that played without her.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.