North Carolina vs Central Arkansas Prediction 11/3/25 College Basketball Picks Today

The Central Arkansas Bears and the North Carolina Tar Heels meet Monday in college basketball action from the Dean E. Smith Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Central Arkansas Bears vs. North Carolina Tar Heels prediction.

Central Arkansas Bears Recap

The Central Arkansas Bears come into the 2025-26 season trying to bounce back from a tough 9-24 year that saw them finish near the bottom of the ASUN standings at 4-14 in conference play. The Bears did make the ASUN tournament but didn’t last long, getting bounced by top-seeded Lipscomb in the first round. John Shulman’s group basically starts over again this season with another major roster reset. The good news? Camren Hunter is back after a stop at Wisconsin, and his return gives UCA a proven scorer and leader in the backcourt. Cole McCormick is back on the wing and brings a steady presence, while guards Javion Guy-King and Ty Robinson should see more run after limited roles a year ago. Beyond that, it’s a mix of transfers and new faces trying to find chemistry fast. The Bears have talent, but it’s raw and unproven. If Hunter can regain his form and the new pieces click, they might steal some wins in ASUN play. Otherwise, it could be another long grind for the Bears in Conway.

North Carolina Tar Heels Recap

The North Carolina Tar Heels head into the 2025-26 season looking to reload after finishing 23-14 overall and 13-7 in ACC play last year. The Heels made a decent run in the ACC Tournament, knocking off Notre Dame and Wake Forest before falling to Duke in a tight semifinal. It was a solid showing, but this offseason brought major change. RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau, Ven-Allen Lubin, Jae’Lyn Withers, and Ian Jackson are all gone, leaving a huge hole in both production and leadership. Seth Trimble is the only key returner, and he’ll be counted on to take the next step as a lead guard. Hubert Davis worked the portal hard, adding 7-footer Henri Veesaar from Arizona, Kyan Evans from Colorado State, and Jarin Stevenson from Alabama to fill out the frontcourt. The Heels also landed international guard Luka Bogavac and top recruit Caleb Wilson, a five-star freshman with big upside. There’s talent here, but it’s almost a brand-new roster, so chemistry will be the key early on. If Trimble can steady the backcourt and the newcomers settle in quickly, North Carolina has enough firepower to stay near the top of the ACC.

Why the North Carolina Tar Heels will win

• Central Arkansas has lost each of its last 29 road night games against non-Conference opponents.
• North Carolina has won 21 of its last 22 games against non-Conference opponents at Dean E. Smith Center.

Total Points Facts

• Each of North Carolina’s last seven games against non-Conference opponents at Dean E. Smith Center have produced a total of 160+ points.
• Five of Central Arkansas’ last six games against non-Conference opponents have produced a total of 155 or fewer points.

Central Arkansas Bears vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Prediction

I’m on North Carolina here. I just don’t think that Central Arkansas has the horses to hang around in this game, and while the Bears are catching a lot of points here, we normally see North Carolina in a lot of these early season paycheck games hammer their lesser opposition and I honestly think that this game ends up being no different. Give me North Carolina here.