If you blinked and the calendar turned December, you’re not crazy. If you thought Thanksgiving was a tough result for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Tuesday night will be tougher.
At 9:30 p.m., UNC will battle Kentucky in another high-stakes basketball clash between two, historic Blue Bloods. This time, the Tar Heels (6-1) and Wildcats (5-2) will play in Rupp Arena.
Kentucky won each of the past two matchups, with North Carolina’s last win in the series coming Dec. 19, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. Tuesday’s face-off will be the fourth-consecutive December game between both programs. When the Tar Heels and Wildcats last battled outside of September, Luke Maye hit a shot heard’ round the world in the Elite Eight.
UNC played to a 1-1 record in the Fort Myers Tip-Off last week: beating St Bonaventure on Tuesday, before losing to Michigan State on Thanksgiving. North Carolina kept things close with the undefeated Spartans (7-0) in the first half, but cold shooting woes loomed large in the second half.
Kentucky (5-2) isn’t quite where Mark Pope wants his team this deep into the season. The Wildcats dominated Nicholls, Valparaiso, Eastern Illinois, Loyola (MD) and Tennessee Tech, but struggled against tougher teams in Louisville and Michigan State.
The Tar Heels’ schedule eases up a bit after Tuesday night’s trip, with games to follow against Georgetown, USC Upstate and ETSU at home. If you’re planning to watch UNC-Kentucky on TV, your favorite streaming device, listening on the radio or somewhere else, keep reading below for more broadcast information.
What channel is UNC at Kentucky on Tuesday? Time, TV schedule, radio
TV Channel:ESPN
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Radio: SiriusXM (Channel 81 and 191)
Website: WatchESPN
Where to watch UNC at Kentucky on live stream
UNC at Kentucky prediction, picks, odds
The Tar Heels and Wildcats don’t like each other, but there’s a mutual respect between both programs. UNC and Kentucky both share convincing wins through their first seven games, but struggled against Power Four compeition.
As if he isn’t already stealing headlines, Caleb Wilson will be a huge focus on Tuesday night. Wilson picked North Carolina over Kentucky, while Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno opted for that darker shade of blue.
The Tar Heels are no stranger to playing in tough environments, while the Wildcats – once again – struggle against a better opponent.
Score prediction: UNC 82, Kentucky 72
Full UNC basketball schedule
Oct. 4: Blue-White Scrimmage (White 55, Blue 50)
Oct. 24: at BYU (preseason, L 78-76)
Oct. 29: vs. Winston-Salem State (preseason, W 95-53)
Nov. 3: vs. Central Arkansas (W, 94-54)
Nov. 7: vs. Kansas (W, 87-74)
Nov. 11: vs. Radford (W, 89-74)
Nov. 14: vs. NC Central (W, 97-53)
Nov. 18: vs. Navy (W, 73-61)
Nov. 25: vs. St. Bonaventure in Fort Myers (Florida) Tip-Off (W, 85-70)
Nov. 27: vs. Michigan State in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (L, 74-58)
Dec. 2: at Kentucky (9:30 p.m.)
Dec. 7: vs. Georgetown (5 p.m.)
Dec. 13: vs. USC Upstate (2 p.m.)
Dec. 16: vs. ETSU (8 p.m.)
Dec. 20: vs. Ohio State in CBS Sports Classic (3 p.m. in Atlanta, Ga.)
Dec. 22: vs. East Carolina (8 p.m.)
Dec. 30: vs. Florida State (2:15 p.m.)
Jan. 3, 2026: at SMU (2:15 p.m.)
Jan. 10: vs. Wake Forest (6 p.m.)
Jan. 14: at Stanford (9 p.m.)
Jan. 17: at California (4 p.m.)
Jan. 21: vs. Notre Dame (7 p.m.)
Jan. 24: at Virginia (TBA)
Jan. 31: at Georgia Tech (2 p.m.)
Feb. 2: vs. Syracuse (7 p.m.)
Feb. 7: vs. Duke (6:30 p.m.)
Feb. 10: at Miami (Florida) (7 p.m.)
Feb. 14: vs. Pitt (2 p.m.)
Feb. 17: at NC State (7 p.m.)
Feb. 21: at Syracuse (1 p.m.)
Feb. 23: vs. Louisville (7 p.m.)
Feb. 28: vs. Virginia Tech (TBA)
March 3: vs. Clemson (7 p.m.)
March 7, 2026: at Duke (6:30 p.m.)
March 10-14: ACC Tournament in Spectrum Center (Charlotte, N.C.)
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Time, streaming information, odds vs. Kentucky
