Updated March 16, 2026, 8:12 p.m. MT
No. 6 seed North Carolina and No. 11 seed VCU play Thursday, March 19, in a March Madness NCAA Tournament first-round game.
The South Region game is scheduled for 3:50 p.m. MST and can be seen on TNT (stream with Sling TV).
Who will win the March Madness game and advance to the second round in the NCAA Tournament bracket?
Check out these March Madness picks and March Madness predictions for the men’s college basketball NCAA Tournament matchup.
North Carolina is a 2.5-point favorite over VCU in the game in March Madness odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. The Tar Heels are -145 on the moneyline. The Rams are +118. The over/under for the game is set at 154.5 points.
March Madness picks: Ohio State-TCU | Nebraska-Troy | Louisville-South Florida | Wisconsin-High Point | Duke-Siena | Vanderbilt-McNeese | Michigan State-North Dakota State | Arkansas-Hawaii | North Carolina-VCU | Saint Mary’s-Texas A&M | Illinois-Penn | Georgia-Saint Louis | Gonzaga-Kennesaw State | Houston-Idaho | Kentucky-Santa Clara | Texas Tech-Akron | Arizona-Long Island | Virginia-Wright State | Iowa State-Tennessee State | Alabama-Hofstra | Villanova-Utah State | Clemson-Iowa | St. John’s-UNI | UCLA-UCF | Purdue-Queens | Kansas-Cal Baptist | UConn-Furman | Miami-Missouri | The Republic’s score predictions
Watch North Carolina vs VCU on Sling
Jeremy Cluff writes: «The Tar Heels are only a 2.5-point favorite in this game. VCU won the Atlantic 10 tournament and has a lot of momentum. This could be one of the most intriguing games of the first round.»
Dimers: North Carolina 77, VCU 75
It writes: «After extensive simulations, our model gives Virginia Commonwealth a win probability of 45%, while North Carolina has a win probability of 55%.»
Join the madness: USA TODAY Bracket Challenge | Survivor Pool | Printable bracket
ESPN: North Carolina has a 61.5% chance to beat VCU
The site gives the Rams a 38.5% shot at defeating the Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament March Madness first-round game.
Bookies.com: Bet VCU on the moneyline vs North Carolina
Bill Speros writes: «The Tar Heels struggled without top scorer and rebounder Caleb Wilson (thumb), going 5-3 in his absence. VCU arrives at 27-7, winners of 16 of their last 17 games. An elite defensive A-10 champion on a massive winning streak makes VCU a tantalizing outright upset pick as a No. 11 seed. Especially when Duke appears to be winning everything else in sight.»
March Madness odds: Ohio State-TCU | Nebraska-Troy | Louisville-South Florida | Wisconsin-High Point | Duke-Siena | Vanderbilt-McNeese | Michigan State-North Dakota State | Arkansas-Hawaii | North Carolina-VCU | Saint Mary’s-Texas A&M | Illinois-Penn | Georgia-Saint Louis | Gonzaga-Kennesaw State | Houston-Idaho | Kentucky-Santa Clara | Texas Tech-Akron | Arizona-Long Island | Virginia-Wright State | Iowa State-Tennessee State | Alabama-Hofstra | Villanova-Utah State | Clemson-Iowa | St. John’s-UNI | UCLA-UCF | Purdue-Queens | Kansas-Cal Baptist | UConn-Furman | Miami-Missouri | Betting odds | Title odds
ESPN: Pick North Carolina to win against VCU in NCAA bracket
Jay Bilas writes: «This is a scary game for the Tar Heels. Without Caleb Wilson, they have a lower ceiling. North Carolina is better and should win. But VCU is a fair upset pick here.»
Rodd Baxley writes: «The Tar Heels should be able to get by VCU, but Illinois is one of the worst matchups on paper for a UNC defense that has struggled to find consistency this season. It’s unlikely UNC will make it to the second weekend without Caleb Wilson.»
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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