- The North Carolina Tar Heels are the strong favorites in Game 1 of their Super Regional series against the Arizona Wildcats
- UNC aims for consecutive appearances at the College World Series
- Find my Arizona vs North Carolina Game 1 picks and predictions below
The Arizona Wildcats (42-18) face the Tar Heels (45-13) in North Carolina to kick off their Super Regional series, with the winner advancing to the College World Series.
UNC is the dominant favorite in Game 1 of this best-of-three series, with the first pitch set for 12 PM ET on Friday at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2.
Here’s a breakdown of the Wildcats vs Tar Heels Game 1 matchup.
Arizona vs North Carolina Odds
The Wildcats are significant +270 underdogs on the moneyline against the tournament’s top-ranked team. The Tar Heels have -370 odds on the moneyline and are favored by 2.5 runs on the spread. The total is set at 10.5 runs.
Odds as of June 5 at bet365. Use the bet365 bonus code for college baseball betting today.
The Super Regional consists of 16 teams in eight head-to-head matchups — these are the teams that won their respective four-team regional tournaments. The eight Super Regional winners will advance to the 2025 College World Series, held at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska, starting June 13.
Arizona vs North Carolina Picks & Predictions
- North Carolina -2.5 (-115 at Bet365)
North Carolina’s Jake Knapp, potentially the tournament’s best pitcher, is expected to start Game 1 for the Tar Heels.
Knapp excelled in UNC’s regional opener against Holy Cross, pitching 8 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only four hits, and striking out seven.
The ACC pitcher of the year boasts a 13-0 record with a minuscule 1.98 ERA this season.
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But Carolina offers more than just an outstanding pitcher. They average 7.7 runs per game and ranked Top 6 in the ACC in runs, home runs, and RBIs during the regular season.
Despite having elite pitching, they surpassed the 11.5 runs line in their last three Chapel Hill bracket games to win it.
Arizona is back in a Super Regional for the first time since 2021 and easily swept the Eugene Regional with a 3-0 record.
After a close 3-2 victory over Cal Poly, Arizona’s offense exploded, scoring 14 runs in consecutive games against Utah Valley and Cal Poly to secure the region.
Arizona hit 15 home runs in the three games in Eugene, including a school-record eight against Utah Valley and six more in the regional final against Cal Poly. Shortstop Mason White has been on fire, with home runs in 10 of his last 12 games. Of Arizona’s 34 hits, 23 were for extra bases.
Owen Kramkowski is expected to pitch against UNC after allowing one run in seven innings with seven strikeouts in his regional start. Their bullpen was solid, pitching 11 innings, giving up just one run, one walk, and striking out 17.
Although I’m tempted to bet the Over, Knapp might shut down Arizona’s offense entirely, leaving UNC needing a massive output to surpass the total.
However, I predict Arizona’s offense, which has been hot, will struggle against UNC’s superior talent. They avoided 12th-ranked Oregon in the regional, as Utah Valley and Cal Poly eliminated them. The Tar Heels are top contenders for the title and will prove their strength on Friday night.
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