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Edgar Chaput
Michigan St. (9) vs. North Carolina (1) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
On Thursday, Michigan took care of Mississipi with relative ease, 69-51. The number one seeded Tar Heels finished off Wagner 90-62, a final score that makes it look as though the match was a blowout but was rather tight during the first half.
Our March Madness odds don’t believe that North Carolina will have as easy a ride in the sophomore round, with the Tar Heels pegged as -3.5 favourites.
Michigan St. Spartans vs. North Carolina Tar Heels NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
There is a decent amount of history to speak of between these two schools. Michigan and North Carolina have drawn swords seven times in their shared history, with Michigan winning only once. It was the most recent match in November 2017. From 2007 through 2013 it was all North Carolina.
The total is set at 139.5. That seems reasonable, even if North Carolina’s scoring dips a bit (they aren’t a 90-point offence), one expects Michigan to have a slightly better game. It could be close though. An interesting bet could be the over-under points scored in the halves. The first half suggests a total of 65.5 but judging by how both teams played in round one, they heated up in the second half and scored less in the first.
Michigan St. Spartans (9)
Spartans faced a persistent but ultimately second-class Mississippi side on Thursday in Round One of March Madness. The 69-51 final was indicative of that. Michigan always looked relatively comfortable, with their opponents showcasing occasional spurts to make the game somewhat interesting but never pose a serious threat.
What the contest was not indicative of was that this was an eight seed versus a nine. One would have thought that the game would be closer than it was. From an efficiency standpoint, the Spartans blew the doors off their rivals from the south, shooting a brilliant 50 per cent from the field on the same amount of attempts (both teams took 54 shots). Even the three-point shooting was NBA-calibre, the Spartans hitting 43.5 per cent of their tries. Tyson Walker was his usual self, going for 18 points. Setting the tone on defence, Jaden Akins (15 points) performed a sensational block and Walker stole three balls. A.J. Hoggard tallied eight assists.
North Carolina Tar Heels (1)
There’s no point beating around the bush. At the end of the day, North Carolina was obviously the more impressive side when they played Wagner in the first round. A team doesn’t luck its way to a 90-62 final score. That’s domination.
Even so, Wagner pressed in the early goings. The score was tight about midway through the first half, a faint hint that maybe, maybe this could be one of those famous March Madness contests when, well, madness ensues. It was not meant to be. Carolina’s 50 per cent shooting from the perimeter definitely helped make the final score a blowout, as did their 55 per cent overall from the field. The rebounding was ridiculous, with the Tar Heels winning that battle 43-24. The big guns came out firing, with RJ Davis hitting 22 points, Armando Bacot reaching 20 points and 15 boards, and sub Jae’LynWithers shining with 16 points of his own.
MSU
UNC