It wasn’t exactly a vintage Kris Dunn performance, but the Providence Friars still managed a victory over the USC Trojans in their Round of 64 game Thursday evening in Raleigh. Their reward? A date with the No. 1-seed North Carolina Tar Heels.
- The total has gone UNDER in 13 of UNC’s previous 18 games.
- North Carolina is 6-0 SU in its last six games versus teams with a winning record.
- UNC has not lost a Round 2 game as a favorite since 2006 (six straight).
Dunn had foul issues and played just 27 minutes, tallying 16 points, four rebounds and four assists, but it was Ben Bentil and Rodney Bullock who played all 40 minutes and registered 19 and 16 points respectively.
The line in Thursday's contest closed at Friars -2.5 so Providence has started the tourney with an 0-1 ATS mark.
Also starting out 0-1 ATS are the Tar Heels, but Thursday’s opener versus the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles was a tale of two halves. UNC went into the locker room with a slim one-point lead, but came out in the second half and looked like a different team. The Heels won the game 83-67, but failed to cover the number as big 22.5-point favorites.
Senior Brice Johnson had a game to remember as he scored 18 points, hauled down seven boards and swatted eight shots.
Bettors take note: Keep an eye on the spread in this contest as the Heels have gone 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games when tabbed as a favorite of 9.5 or more.
Providence Friars vs North Carolina Tar Heels Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The North Carolina Tar Heels currently sport a 28-6 record overall in NCAA basketball action, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 15-17-2 ATS. The Providence Friars are 24-10 and 18-15 ATS. Betting totals have seen the North Carolina Tar Heels produce a 17-17 OVER/UNDER record on the season, while the Providence Friars have gone 19-14 against the totals betting line.
The Power Rankings at Odds Shark show No. 150-rated Providence Friars taking on the No. 14-rated North Carolina Tar Heels in this contest.
Statistical Matchup
Rating these schools in several key categories is important for handicappers and North Carolina has the nation's No. 11-rated offensive output, at 82.29 PPG. The visiting Providence Friars defense ranks No. 103 allowing on average 69.71 PPG. The Tar Heels FG% has averaged 47.7% so far, more than the North Carolina Friars marksmen have achieved on the year, 42.14% per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Friars grabbed a 70-69 win over the Trojans on Thursday, behind a 19-point effort from Ben Bentil at PNC Arena.
North Carolina earned a 83-67 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday, getting 18 points from Brice Johnson at PNC Arena.
- Providence is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
- Providence is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
- North Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- North Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 13 of North Carolina's last 18 games
