The Boston College Eagles (7-16) look to end their 10-game losing streak when they match up with the No. 9-ranked No. 9-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (19-4) at Silvio O. Conte Forum. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 9 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Eagles got blown out by Louisville 79-47 on Saturday. Sammy Barnes-Thompkins finished with 11 points to lead the team. The Tar Heels are coming off an 80-76 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. Marcus Paige had a game-high 21 points.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Tar Heels won the first game 89-62. Joel Berry II was a standout player in the game, producing 13 points, three rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two three-pointers.
The Eagles are looking to improve on their records of 7-16 Straight Up (SU) and 5-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have been worse ATS (3-7) than their SU record (8-2) over their last 10 games would indicate. The most recent ten-game stretch for the Eagles has gone great. Over that span, Boston College is averaging 81.1 points per game, well over their season average of 61.6.
As for their opponent, the Tar Heels have a 19-4 SU record, but have struggled ATS with an 8-13-2 record. North Carolina has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 2-7-1 record. They sport the eighth-ranked scoring offense in the country, averaging 84.5 points per game. The Tar Heels are a force on the boards, grabbing an average of 41.3 rebounds per game. The Tar Heels are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in Division I at 1.69.
North Carolina beat Boston College in their most recent meeting this season, bumping its SU record over their most recent meetings to 8-2. At 5-5, they are even ATS. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – UNC, ATS Winner – UNC
Notes
North Carolina is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 84.5 points per game (ranked eighth). Boston College, on the other hand, allows 69.6 points per game (ranked 108th).
Boston College lost its last game by a 32-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, North Carolina is 8-0. Boston College is 3-7 in blowouts this season.
North Carolina beats Boston College in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Tar Heels average 72.1 possessions and 1.172 points per possession, while the Eagles average 67.5 possessions with .912 points per possession.
The Boston College Eagles average an effective field goal percentage of 47.6% this season. The North Carolina Tar Heels have a stellar 12-2 record in games where opponents have an eFG% of 47.6% or greater.
The Boston College Eagles attempt 21.0 three pointers per game, and the North Carolina Tar Heels attempt 17.0 on average. When attempting at least 20 three pointers this season, Boston College has an underachieving record (4-9), while North Carolina is undefeated (7-0).
The North Carolina Tar Heels rank second with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.69, while the Boston College Eagles rank outside the top 100 at 260th with an A/TO of .93.
Ranked 17th in the nation, North Carolina averages 41.3 rebounds per game. Boston College ranks lower at 333rd with 31.7 RPG.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, North Carolina ranks 13th. Boston College ranks 246th in defensive rebounds.
North Carolina has forced an average turnover percentage of 19.2% this season. Boston College has a losing 4-10 record when its TO% is 19.2% or higher.
