The No. 12-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels kick off their quest for an ACC tournament title and opened as 8-point favorites vs the Syracuse Orange tonight in second-round action. The Tar Heels are coming off back-to-back losses to wrap up the regular season and finished an uncharacteristic 11-7 SU in conference play.
- Syracuse is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games in March.
- The total has gone OVER in three of North Carolina’s last four games.
- North Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last five games after an ATS loss.
UNC won this tournament in 2016 and is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games in the postseason. The Tar Heels are the best rebounding team in the country as their size and battle-tested upperclassmen make them a formidable opponent vs any team. Senior Joel Berry II and Luke Maye continue to be offensive forces for the Tar Heels and ranked fourth and fifth respectively in scoring in the ACC this season. Their three-point shooting will be put to the test vs Syracuse’s patented zone defense.
Syracuse made quick work of Wake Forest 73-64 on Tuesday in the first round and got 18 points from leading scorer Tyus Battle. The senior has averaged 20 points per game in this campaign and he will need to have another outstanding game if the Orange are to win their first game in an ACC tournament since joining the conference in 2013. Spread bettors may want to steer clear of the Orange in this one as ’Cuse has lost six straight vs the Tar Heels by an average margin of 10.6 points.
The total opened at 143 and the OVER may be the profitable angle in this matchup. UNC is the second-highest scoring team in the ACC and the total has gone OVER in seven of their last 10 games. When you factor in that the OVER has hit in five of the last six games in this matchup, there could be offensive fireworks at the Barclays Center.
Syracuse Orange vs North Carolina Tar Heels Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The 22-9 and 16-13-1 ATS North Carolina Tar Heels will face the 20-12 Syracuse Orange, who own a 14-16 ATS mark on the season. In totals betting, the Tar Heels are 17-12-1 on the OVER/UNDER so far this season while the Orange are 14-16.
This game puts the Tar Heels, most recently No. 37 in the OddsShark power rankings, up against the Orange, who rate No. 193 in the latest survey.
Statistical Matchup
Rating these schools in several key categories is important for handicappers and North Carolina has the nation's No. 20-rated offensive output, at 82.97 PPG. The visiting Syracuse defense ranks No. 12 allowing on average 64.12 PPG. The Tar Heels' FG% has averaged 46.58% so far, more than the Orange marksmen have achieved on the year, 42.18% per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Syracuse got 20 points from Marek Dolezaj en route to a 73-64 victory over Wake Forest on Tuesday at Barclays Center.
The Tar Heels endured a 74-64 loss at the hands of the Blue Devils on Saturday, despite a 16-point effort from Cameron Johnson at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
- Syracuse is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Syracuse's last 9 games
- Syracuse is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing North Carolina
- Syracuse is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing North Carolina
- North Carolina is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of North Carolina's last 10 games
- North Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Syracuse
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of North Carolina's last 6 games when playing Syracuse
