North Carolina opens its 2025–26 season by hosting Central Arkansas at the Dean E. Smith Center on Monday night. The 7:00 p.m. ET tip will be televised on ACC Network. The Tar Heels are ranked No. 25 in the preseason polls and come off an up‑and‑down season that ended with a second‑round exit in March. Coach Hubert Davis has a veteran core led by All‑American center Armando Bacot and dynamic guard RJ Davis. Tar Heel fans are buzzing about freshman wing Drake Powell and transfer guard Cade Tyson (UNC basketball looks to open the year with a win over Central Arkansas).

Central Arkansas finished near the bottom of the ASUN last year but returns scoring guard Camren Hunter and added several junior‑college transfers. The Bears love to push the pace and shoot lots of threes. They’ll need a hot shooting night to hang with UNC.

Matchup & odds

• Tipoff: Monday, November 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Dean E. Smith Center (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
• TV: ACC Network
• Odds: UNC –33.5 (estimate); total 160.5

UNC should dominate the glass and interior scoring. Bacot is a double‑double machine, and the Heels’ length on the wing should bother Central Arkansas’s shooters. The Bears might stick around early if they hit three-pointers, but the talent gap is massive.

Pick & prediction

Take North Carolina to roll in its opener. The Tar Heels have far more size and depth and should wear down a Central Arkansas team that struggles defensively. My lean is UNC –33.5 and the over, as both teams will push tempo. Final score prediction: North Carolina 93, Central Arkansas 60.