NCAAB: BETTORS BAILING ON THE TAR HEELS?
The North Carolina Tar Heels may be keeping the student body happy with their wins but bettors definitely aren’t sharing the same enthusiasm.
UNC ranks fifth in the nation with a 16-2 record but it’s the record against the spread that has some backers bailing on them as they prepare for a big Atlantic Coast Conference matchup against the #9 Clemson Tigers.
The Tar Heels have covered just three of their last 10 games and in their last three wins over Clemson they have covered just once and needed overtime to get the cash in that game.
Bettors will want to keep their schedule open and take in this game as the second half of a Wednesday night doubleheader on ESPN. Big East foes #21 Villanova and #3 UConn open the action followed by this ACC contest on UNC’s home court in Chapel Hill.
You can get the latest odds for all the night’s action on our Live Odds page and don’t forget to check out our Betting Trends to see how other members are betting.
In terms of wins and losses, North Carolina has dominated the series by winning the last nine games. However, against the spread, the teams have split the last 10 meetings and Clemson has been giving UNC a tough run of late, forcing overtime in two of the last three games and covering two of those.
And while UNC bettors found out about Clemson’s improved squad last year, the nation is learning about them right now as their 16-1 record has them ranked inside the Top 10 and their 2-1 conference record puts them third in the ACC.
Even though it’s early in the conference season, a win over North Carolina would solidify their ranking and drop the Tar Heels to 2-3 in conference play. UNC has losses to now #1 Wake Forest and an unranked Boston College team and desperately need a win to keep pace with Wake and Duke, both undefeated in the ACC so far.
Clemson’s only loss came at the hands of Wake Forest Demon Deacons last Saturday in the form of a 78-68 loss as 2 ½-point favorites. UNC lost to the Demon Deacons 92-89 as 6 ½-point favorites.
Wednesday’s game gives the Tigers a chance to prove their 16-0 start was no fluke and they’ll want to prove that they are a serious contender by taking down a highly-ranked opponent and shutting down the second-best offense in the nation.
Offensively, the Tar Heels dominate. They have an unprecedented six players averaging double digits in points and they combine to score 92.9 points per game as a unit.
Led by senior Tyler Hansbrough’s 22.9 points per game, the Tar Heels have scored at least 80 points in all but two games this season.
Where bettors get worried is on the defensive side of the ball. UNC’s run and gun style leaves them vulnerable to opposing offenses and they give up far too many points to cover the large spreads they often receive.
With opponent’s averaging 70.1 points against them this season, the Tar Heels defense ranks 236th in scoring defense and that won’t get the job done come tournament time.
It may not get the job done on Wednesday either as Clemson boasts an offense scoring 79.7 points per game, 22nd in the nation, and the defense has proven they can shut things down, limiting Wake’s fifth-ranked offense to just 78 points last Saturday.
