Jack Breslin Student Events Center – East Lansing, MI
Tip-off: Wednesday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Line: Michigan State -9

North Carolina aims to avoid its third loss of the season while upsetting the nation’s No. 1 team when it heads to East Lansing in the second day of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday night.

These two teams have met six times in recent years while Tom Izzo and Roy Williams have been head coach. Williams’ Tar Heels have won all of those meetings since 2005, including an 89-72 blowout in the 2009 national championship game. UNC was ranked and favored in all of those meetings though, a big change from Wednesday. North Carolina enters this one coming off a 63-59 loss to UAB on Sunday, the team’s second loss to a weak opponent after falling to at home to 14-point underdog Belmont on Nov. 17. Carolina, now 3-3 ATS, has also displayed its potential with a 93-84 win against a top-10 Louisville team on Nov. 24. The Spartans are also 3-3 ATS, including 1-2 ATS at home. Their biggest win thus far came against then-No. 1 Kentucky in the Champions Classic. And Izzo is 34-9 ATS (79%) in home games as a favorite of 6.5 to 9 points at Michigan State. However, the Tar Heels are 16-2 ATS (89%) off an upset loss as a road favorite since 1997. Carolina SG P.J. Hairston is still out due to a suspension, but MSU star SG Gary Harris, who missed the last game with a sprained ankle, is probable for Wednesday's game.

Can Michigan State snap a long losing skid in this series and win by double-digits? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts selections every week throughout the entire 2013-14 season. The StatFox Experts have been rolling in college basketball Best Bets since Nov. 24 with a 71% ATS (25-10) mark. StatFox Zach is 6-1 ATS on Best Bets during this timeframe, and 60% ATS (12-8-1) for the season. StatFox Brian is 6-2 ATS during this timeframe, and is also 60% ATS (12-8-1) for the season. StatFox Gary is 5-2 ATS on Best Bets during this timeframe, and while StatFox Dave is 4-2 ATS. StatFox Scott is 4-3 ATS during this timeframe, including 2-0 ATS on Tuesday, which puts him at a profitable 59% ATS (13-9) on his Best Bets for the season.

The Tar Heels got killed on the glass in their loss to UAB, getting outrebounded 52-37 despite having four players who average at least 5.0 RPG. PF James Michael McAdoo (13.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG) and C Brice Johnson (13.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG) are the team’s two top post players, with McAdoo’s scoring and rebounding numbers down from a season ago when he averaged 14.4 PPG and 7.3 RPG. He has scored single-digit points in each of his past three games, making 9-of-30 FG (30%) in that span. Also important on the boards are freshman PF Kennedy Meeks (6.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG) and sophomore SF J.P. Tokoto (9.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG), while sophomore C Joel James (4.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG), who is the team’s biggest body at 6-foot-10 and 280 pounds, could be key in helping combat the tough Spartans frontcourt. Sophomore PG Marcus Paige (20.8 PPG, 50% FG, 3.8 APG) has been North Carolina’s leading scorer, but he is best as a distributor and has been forced to carry more of the offensive load than people expected. While Paige shoots 45% on his three-point tries, the rest of his team is making just 14% threes (3-of-22).

The Spartans rank first nationally with 22.0 APG, hitting 50.6% of their shots (23rd in D-I) and pouring in 85.9 PPG (22nd in nation). Senior SG Gary Harris (17.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.8 APG) leads the team in scoring, though he didn’t play in the last contest due to his injured ankle. Before his injury, Harris was in a shooting funk with a 38% FG clip (8-of-35 threes) in the previous four games. SG Denzel Valentine (8.3 PPG, 4.0 APG) filled in nicely for Harris in Friday's 98-65 romp over Mount St. Mary's with 15 points (7-of-11 FG), seven assists and five rebounds. Senior PG Keith Appling (16.9 PPG, 5.6 APG) has been outstanding in the past four games with 20.5 PPG on 62% FG. But in the last meeting with North Carolina two seasons ago aboard the USS Carl Vinson, Appling played horribly, going 2-for-7 from the field with four turnovers before fouling out. F/G Branden Dawson (10.3 PPG) was much more efficient that day with 10 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals versus UNC, while C Adreian Payne (15.9 PPG) had 10 points and three boards in just 11 minutes of action. The tough part for North Carolina will be containing both Dawson (9.7 RPG) and Payne (7.7 RPG) on the glass. Both are physical and can push opponents around on the block.