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Edgar Chaput
Alabama (4) vs. North Carolina (1) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
This is arguably the West match that will attract the most eyeballs. No disrespect to Clemson vs. Arizona, but this one features the top-seeded team in the Tar Heels against the Crimson Tide’s number one collegiate offence in the entire country. For all their talent with the ball, Alabama sweated it out against Grand Canyon in the second round, winning 72-61. North Carolina were pushed by Michigan, but not strongly enough as the Tar Heels took their game 85-69.
Our March Madness odds predict North Carolina will take care of business, although not by much. They’re a -4.5 favourite.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. North Carolina Tar Heels NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Although Alabama-North Carolina contests haven’t happened very often, both of those on record were quite recent. In 2019 the Tar Heels earned a 76-67 win and in 2022, the Crimson Tide won a gonzo game in overtime, 103-101. Neither were March Madness tilts, however.
This Sweet Sixteen game will be the first time since the knockout round matches began that Alabama is an underdog. Including their conference playoffs, the Crimson Tide are 2-1 ATS so far. Interestingly, it was the under that cashed in against Grand Canyon in the previous round.
North Carolina has played in two more knockout round games for a total of five and they’re 3-2 ATS thus far. That said, they’ve handled both of their March Madness spreads. The over has also won thrice in a row.
The under earning the spoils in the Crimson Tide’s second-round match was surprising to say the least. this author feels a bit foolish for having brought it up in so cavalier a manner in our preview. Can that possibly happen twice in a row? North Carolina comes with a strong attack too, averaging 81.8 points per game, 20th in the country. Truth is stranger than fiction. The total is set at 173.5. Something about this game hints at an upset. The Tar Heels don’t have a great defence and it would be disappointing if Alabama shot so poorly twice in a row.
Alabama Crimson Tide (4)
At this point in the season, it doesn’t matter so much how a team gets the job done, so long as they’re the one crowned national champions. To that point, Alabama’s 71-62 win Grand Canyon was one of the least expected games in the West thus far.
The 12th-ranked Lopes truly gave the Crimson Tide headaches. Alabama only shot 36.9 per cent from the field and a pitiful 25.8 from the perimeter. They had to fight tooth and nail for nearly every bucket and were trailing by a point with under six minutes to play! A final push is what made the final score look as comfortable as it does, relatively speaking.
Mark Sears was, again, the main man, scoring 26 points to go along with a terrific 12 boards and six assists. It was Mouhamed Dioubate that saved the day, however. He only scored nine points, but all of them came down the stretch. Lo and behold, that’s exactly how much Alabama won the game by. Rylan Griffen as 13 to his name.
North Carolina Tar Heels (1)
The 85-69 final score of the Michigan game doesn’t tell the whole story. In the first half, one could catch a faint whiff that the Spartans might give the Tar Heels more than they had bargained for. It was actually 17-7 for the underdogs at one point, but ultimately North Carolina were just too good.
When the tide turned, North Carolina’s defence made life miserable for Michigan, who only had six total assists in the game (North Carolina had 12). The starters put up big numbers. RJ Davis had 20 points, Armando added 18 with seven boards, Harrison Ingram put up 17 with another seven off the glass, and Cormac Ryan 14. As the best teams do, North Carolina didn’t fold under early pressure, demonstrating why they’re the top seed in the bracket.
ALA
UNC