To say that the Texas Southern Tigers are outmatched in their NCAA tournament opening-round game against North Carolina would be a massive understatement. They opened as 25-point underdogs against the Tar Heels and it’s looking unlikely that this is the year they finally get their first March Madness win – despite winning nine straight games heading in.
- North Carolina is 10-0 SU in its last 10 games after a loss.
- Texas Southern is 0-8 SU in its last 8 games against the ACC.
- UNC is the 10th-highest scoring team in the nation.
UNC is becoming pretty used to being a No. 1 seed and as one of the four best teams in the nation, as judged by the selection committee, a loss to Texas Southern in the Round of 64 would be one of the biggest upsets in the history of North American sports. So, with victory all but assured, will they cover the spread?
A very good question indeed but it’s one that’s not easy to answer. If you go back to last season, when the Tar Heels opened against the 16th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, they easily moved past them but did not come close to covering the 22.5-point spread. UNC has been an inconsistent spread bet all season and we'll be flying into this matchup essentially blind.
What we do know is that North Carolina is coming into the tournament cold after an early exit from their conference tournament and I think they’ll come out of the gates slow and possibly receive a first-half scare. This has been the modus operandi for this Heels team for a while and what it should result in is a double-digit win after they figure things out but a failure to cover an enormous spread.
Texas Southern Tigers vs North Carolina Tar Heels Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The North Carolina Tar Heels sit at 27-7 (18-15-1 ATS) on the college basketball season. By comparison, the Texas Southern Tigers are currently 23-11 (3-7 ATS). Looking to bet on the total points scored? North Carolina is 14-20 OU, and Texas Southern is 6-4 OU.
This game puts the North Carolina Tar Heels, most recently No. 16 in the Odds Shark power rankings, up against the Texas Southern Tigers, who rate No. 247 in the latest survey.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Tigers grabbed a 53-50 win over the Braves on Saturday, behind a 15-point effort from Kevin Scott at Toyota Center.
The Tar Heels endured a 93-83 loss at the hands of the Blue Devils on Friday, despite a 19-point effort from Kennedy Meeks at Barclays Center.
