The No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, the North Carolina Tar Heels tip off Friday against the No. 16 seed Iona Gaels in the Round of 64. UNC had its eight-game winning streak snapped its last time out as it fell 74-73 to Duke, while Iona is seeking its 11th victory in a row. The Tar Heels are 3-1 all-time vs the Gaels and are a 24-point favorite with the total Sportsbook at 166 points.
Iona vs North Carolina Game Center
Standout Stats
- Both teams head into March Madness with a lot of momentum. Iona has rattled off 10 straight triumphs, including winning its fourth MAAC tournament title in a row, and has an average winning margin of 9.5 during its streak. UNC fell 74-73 to Duke in an ACC tournament semifinal but is 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS in its last nine games with an average winning margin of 14.63.
- UNC and Iona have been trending in opposite directions on totals down the stretch, with the total going UNDER in seven of the Tar Heels’ last 10 games but OVER in five of the Gaels’ last seven. However, of North Carolina’s last 10 contests, only one went OVER 166 points, and only one of Iona’s last seven went OVER 166 points.
- Offense hasn’t been an issue for either team this season with the Tar Heels ranking third in the nation at 86.1 points per game and the Gaels not that far off at 76.8 ppg (57th). Both teams have had their difficulties keeping points off the board with UNC surrendering 72.9 ppg and Iona allowing 75.6 ppg.
- The offensive approach is a little different for the two squads with Iona electing to pull up from beyond the arc more often than North Carolina, which tends to get more points from two-point range. Overall, the Tar Heels have a shooting percentage of 46.4 from the floor and the Gaels sink 45.3 percent of their shot attempts. Defensively, UNC is much better, holding foes to an overall shooting percentage of 41.3, while Iona’s opponents hit 44.5 percent of their attempts.
- Expect the Tar Heels to be dominant on the glass in this game as they lead the NCAA with 43.9 rebounds per game, while the Gaels grab 35.2 boards per game. Additionally, North Carolina has a slight edge in the turnover department and should have a massive advantage in overall ball possession.
My Best Bet for Iona vs North Carolina
North Carolina -24
UNC has the edge in nearly every statistical category over Iona. In addition to the points above, the Tar Heels have been able to score the way they have despite having the fourth-toughest strength of schedule in the nation, while the Gaels’ numbers may be slightly overinflated as their SOS ranked 303rd among 353 teams. Iona has extreme difficulties on the defensive side of the ball and that is going to be exposed even further against the third-best offense in college hoops.
