North Carolina vs. Baylor Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
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Nik Kowalski
The defending champion Bears knocked off No. 16 Norfolk State by a score of 85-49 while the Tar Heels put on an offensive show in a 95-63 victory over No. 9 Marquette.
Tip-off at Dixies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. EDT, with Baylor a 5.5-point favourite and the over-under at 149 on the NCAAB odds.
North Carolina vs. Baylor NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Dating back to their ACC semifinal run, North Carolina is one of the hottest teams in the nation. They’ve lost three games since mid-January and have covered in five of their last six. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, they struggle ATS against the Big 12 going 1-9 ATS in their last 10 bouts with a Big 12 team. And if North Carolina is to win this game, they have to cover.
Both teams covered with ease on Thursday, and North Carolina went over while Baylor went under. Seven of Baylor’s last eight games versus and ACC opponent have gone over the total.
North Carolina Tar Heels (8)
North Carolina scored 53 points in the first half Thursday and had their first-round matchup wrapped up by then with a 28-point halftime lead. The Tar Heels flexed their muscles against Marquette with 52 rebounds too. North Carolina’s been one of the nation’s top rebounding teams with just under 40 a game this season.
Senior forward Brady Manek was unstoppable in the victory with a game-high 28 points on 10 of 15 shooting. Sophomore guard Caleb Love added 23, and he and Manek combined for 11 made threes on 23 attempts. Armando Bacot notched a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds while guards R.J. Davis and Leaky Black combined for 20 assists.
Baylor Bears (1)
Baylor’s Round of 64 victory was a rout from the beginning — the Bears held a double-digit lead for the contest’s final 32 minutes, went into the half up 16, and finished with a 42-22 second half. Senior guard Matthew Mayer led Baylor with 22 points while knocking down four three-pointers. Point guard James Akinjo recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.
As a team Baylor shot 57 per cent from the field and 40 per cent from three with 11 made treys. If there’s one area of concern for the Bears, they went 12 for 21 from the charity stripe and shot under 70 per cent there during the season. Top scorer L.J Creyer also missed Thursday with a foot injury and won’t play Saturday, although he could return if Baylor moves on.
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