#12 North Carolina vs. Ohio State: Odds & Props | December 20, 2025

Saturday college hoops, nothing beats it. We are getting spoiled with an afternoon neutral site matchup in Atlanta, as No. 12 North Carolina takes on Ohio State. Both teams come into the weekend off a win. The Tar Heels are riding a four game winning streak, while the Buckeyes are looking to end that run and start one of their own. North Carolina opened as a short 2.5 point favorite, with movement up to -4 at the time of this writing. The total opened at 153.5, and with both teams playing at a top 200 pace, I do not have a strong lean on the total. However, I do have a lean elsewhere.

Bruce Almighty

I made a point to circle spots when Ohio State faces top ranked teams, specifically to see if Bruce Thornton points were in play. The four-year starter is a massive piece of this Buckeyes' offense and currently leads the team in minutes, points, assists, and steals. Playing over 36 minutes and scoring nearly 22 points per game, Thornton has been on a tear all season. In games where he plays at least 35 minutes, he has scored no fewer than 17 points. The last major matchup for the Buckeyes came last Tuesday at home against Illinois, where Thornton poured in 34 points in an 88 to 80 loss. His prop in that game was listed at 17.5 at some books.

In North Carolina's three games against top 100 opponents, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson scored 22 points, Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 19, and Kentucky guard Otega Oweh scored 16. Top guards have found success against this highly regarded defense, and a neutral site setting should only help Thornton.

Staying on that point, North Carolina has struggled to defend the perimeter against top 100 competition, ranking 225th. On the season, the Ohio State guard is averaging 5.2 three point attempts per game while making 2.6. Although North Carolina has generally done a solid job limiting perimeter looks, if Thornton gets a few clean attempts, they are likely quality looks.

Prop Over Side

Personally, Thornton points feels like the safer option compared to backing Ohio State on the spread. If he goes off, the Buckeyes are likely keeping this game close, and if they fall behind, the ball will still be in his hands as he tries to keep them alive.

Thornton' points prop shockingly opened at 17.5. I was thinking it would be more towards 20.5, but I'm not complaining. I would also maybe consider laddering his points to 30+, which you can snag at 13 to 1. I fully expect Thornton to be the main contributor Saturday afternoon.