No. 8 seed North Carolina will be favored to continue its recent hot streak as it tips off against rival No. 9 seed Villanova in an intriguing Round of 64 matchup on Friday.
The Tar Heels are 8-3 both SU and ATS over their past 11 games and have also gone 7-2 ATS in their past nine games as a favorite.
The Wildcats are 7-4 both SU and ATS during their past 11 games, while the total has favored the OVER at 5-2 during Villanova's past seven games. North Carolina has posted three consecutive OVER results.
Supporters of the Wildcats have watched them go 20-13 and 20-10 ATS on the year, while the Tar Heels are at 24-10 and 20-12 ATS. In totals betting, the Tar Heels are 15-17, while the Wildcats have a 13-16 mark.
View Villanova vs North Carolina Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks (including ) had the Tar Heels installed as 3.5-point favorites in this particular matchup earlier in the day. Also, watch for the opening over-under value at TopBet.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Power Rankings at Odds Shark show No. 68-rated Villanova taking on the No. 45-rated Tar Heels in this contest. The scores prediction computer here indicates a possible 78-73 win for the Tar Heels on Friday.
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How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up North Carolina's No. 14 nationally ranked offense (77.2 points per game) against a Wildcats defense that sits as the No. 126 at 64.7 PPG. The Tar Heels have been averaging 44.4% from the field, more than the Wildcats have managed so far this season (41.5% on average).
Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Villanova owns the country's No. 88-rated mark, allowing 66.1 points per game on the highway. North Carolina, on the other hand, rates No. 23 in scoring at home.
Last time out for Villanova, they were a 74-55 loser as they battled Louisville on the road. They failed to cover in the match as a 10.5-point underdog. The Wildcats endured a 74-55 loss at the hands of the Cardinals on Thursday, despite a 21-point effort from JayVaughn Pinkston at Madison Square Garden.
North Carolina lost its last outing, an 87-77 result against Miami on March 17. They failed to cover in that game as a 2-point underdog. P.J. Hairston went off for 28 points and added 3 rebounds but it wasn't enough as Miami handed North Carolina an 87-77 defeat at Greensboro Coliseum.
Villanova Wildcats Trends:
When playing on Friday are 10-0
After playing Louisville are 8-2
After a loss are 6-4
North Carolina Tar Heels Trends:
When playing on Friday are 9-1
After playing Miami are 7-3
After a loss are 8-2
A few Wildcats at Tar Heels trends to consider:
North Carolina is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of North Carolina's last 9 games
