Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world

Kentucky and North Carolina are set to clash on Saturday in Las Vegas in the CBS Sports Classic for the second consecutive season. The game between the No. 21 Wildcats and the Tar Heels was hastily scheduled due to COVID-19 issues with No. 4 UCLA and No. 15 Ohio State. The Buckeyes and Wildcats had been scheduled to play each other, while the Bruins and Tar Heels were set to square off. Instead, it'll be UK and UNC taking center stage in what is now the lone game in the event at 5:30 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. 

Though playing Ohio State would have provided UK just its second game against a ranked opponent this season, playing the Tar Heels will still allow the Wildcats to test themselves against an opponent within the top-80 of the NET rankings for just the second time this season. Kentucky lost its only such prior game against No. 2 Duke. A win would be critical to Kentucky's hopes of building a solid resume before SEC play begins after the Wildcats dropped a road game against Notre Dame last Saturday.

North Carolina has quality wins over Michigan and on the road at Georgia Tech, but the Tar Heels aren't ranked, despite entering this tilt on a five-game winning streak. That would likely change if they are able to knock off Kentucky again after beating the Wildcats 75-63 in last season's CBS Sports Classic.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 18  | Time: 5:30 p.m. ET Location: T-Mobile Arena -- Las Vegas TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

Expect Kentucky to play with a bit of desperation in this spot as the Wildcats try and get their first Quad 1 win of the season after an abysmal shooting performance against Notre Dame in a road loss last week. UNC has been among the nation's best outside shooting teams so far this season, but the Tar Heels are still a work in progress defensively. If the Wildcats can hit a few outside shots and control the offensive glass, they can get a much-needed quality win. Prediction: Kentucky 80, UNC 75

Who wins every college basketball game? And which teams could sink your bankroll? Visit SportsLine now to see how to pick every college basketball game, all from the model that simulates every game 10,000 times and has generated over $2,000 in profit the last four-plus years.

© 2004-2021 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.

CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc.

Images by Getty Images and US Presswire