NCAA Basketball Matchup: Badgers vs Tar Heels
North Carolina is coming off a stunning loss at the hands of UNLV this past weekend.
NCAA Basketball Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
9:30 PM EST
College Basketball Gambling Odds from 5Dimes
NCAA Basketball Betting Favorite: North Carolina -7
Over/Under: 136
The Tar Heels came into the season as overwhelming favorites to win the NCAA Championship. It’s certainly not time to panic in Chapel Hill, but fans will expect to see an impressive bounce back here.
Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin team may not be the most talented team in the land, but they play smart basketball and they are very tough to beat.
Every year Bo Ryan’s Badgers play great fundamental basketball, and this year is no different. Jordan Taylor may be the best point guard in the nation. Taylor is a heady player who knows the Badgers offense nearly as well as the coaching staff. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
He can knock down a three or get an open look for a teammate at just about any time. Wisconsin is second in all of basketball with a 47% team average from beyond the three-point line. Defense is the primary reason the Badgers are unbeaten this year. Wisconsin is giving up just 39 points per game so far this season.
Harrison Barnes won’t be 100%, but he is likely to play tonight. The Tar Heels will need guys like John Henson, Tyler Zeller, and Kendall Marshall to pick up some of the scoring load since Barnes likely won’t be himself in this one. North Carolina is sixth in the country in points per game at 88 per contest.
The Badgers will fight to slow the tempo down, but the Heels must push the ball at every opportunity. Another area I expect North Carolina to have a major advantage is on the boards. North Carolina is very deep in the frontcourt, and they should wear down Wisconsin.
Wisconsin is a tough team, but they simply aren’t on the same talent level as the Heels. North Carolina coming off a loss should be highly motivated here. I think they cover the spread.
Prediction: North Carolina 76 Wisconsin 65
