No. 3 Auburn basketball returns to the hardwood on Tuesday after its stunning 83-81 win over No. 5 Iowa State in the first round of the Maui Invitational. Next up for the Tigers is a battle with No. 13 North Carolina with a trip to the championship game on the line.

SportsLine's model revealed its college basketball predictions for Auburn Tigers vs. UNC Tar Heels at the 2024 Maui Invitational

UNC hasn’t shown much consistency on the defensive end under Hubert Davis. This team has a ton of potential, but there’s also volatility in their performance from game to game, whereas Auburn looks like a great team on both ends of the court.