The No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels (22-9, 11-7 ACC) square off against the Syracuse Orange (20-12, 9-10 ACC) in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tourney at Barclays Center. The game will air on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.
Syracuse Orange vs. North Carolina Tar Heels ATS Prediction
The Orange come in on a high note after defeating the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in their last game, 73-64. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Syracuse’s largest strengths. They had 29 free throw attempts, while Wake Forest had just 13. Paschal Chukwu played a pivotal role for Syracuse with 14 points and nine rebounds.
In the Tar Heels’ last matchup, they fell to the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils, 74-64. Duke’s 0.145 free throw rate was their biggest advantage over North Carolina, who had a mark of 0.057. The Blue Devils’ mark was below their season average of 0.252, while the Tar Heels’ was below their season average of 0.212. North Carolina’s Kenny Williams had 13 points and eight rebounds in the game.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the high-octane offense of North Carolina (22nd in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 115.5) takes on the top-notch defense of Syracuse (39th in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 98.3). Additionally, the Orange, who rank 20th in offensive rebounding percentage (35.0 percent), will go head-to-head against the Tar Heels, who rank 50th in defensive rebounding percentage (74.6 percent).
Theo Pinson has averaged 16.2 points, 7.0 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals over the last five games for North Carolina.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. Pinson had 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the first matchup, in which the Tar Heels topped the Orange 78-74. The Tar Heels had a better turnover percentage (10.1 vs. 13.2) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (39.5 vs. 32.4).
Syracuse Orange vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Pick
Free Basketball Pick: SU Winner – North Carolina, ATS Winner – North Carolina, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
North Carolina ranks fifth in assists per game (18.1) while Syracuse ranks 263rd (11.1).
The Orange average 5.6 blocks per game, which ranks seventh in the nation. The Tar Heels rank 206th in blocks allowed per game (4.7).
North Carolina ranks 127th in three pointers attempted per game (22.7) while Syracuse ranks 274th (18.0).
The Orange rank 49th in steals per game (7.3) while the Tar Heels rank 183rd (5.5).
North Carolina ranks first in rebounds per game (42.7) while Syracuse ranks 74th (37.4).
Bettings Trends:
The Orange have been outscored by an average of 4.6 points in their last five games. On the season, Syracuse has defeated opponents by an average of 3.7 points.
During their last five games, the Tar Heels have scored an average of 81.2 points per game (1.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 76.2 points per game (2.2 above their season average).
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