Round 2 – Bluejays vs Tar Heels CBB Handicapping Prediction
Some college giants have been slain so far in the Big Dance, but all the #1 seeds are still alive and can Creighton pull off the shocker facing a UNC team that is stacked and has the best frontcourt in the nation?
Venue/ Stadium: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
Time/Date: 5:15 PM EST Sunday, March 17, 2012
NCAA Odds From: Bovada
Moneyline: Creighton +335 / UNC -425
Spread (ATS): UNC -8
Over/Under: 159
Creighton Bluejays vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Preview
The Bluejays won their opening round game by 1 point while UNC had no problem advancing to the round of 32. NCAAB lines have UNC as 8-point favorites with a total of 159.
In their opening round games Creighton beat Alabama 58-57 and UNC crushed Vermont 77-58.
This season UNC is 19-15 ATS with an O/U record of 17-17 and Creighton is at 15-14-1 with an O/U record of 15-13-2.
Creighton has the nation’s 7th highest scoring team, but they will be facing a Tar Heels squad that ranked 2nd in the nation in scoring and has the nation’s best rebounding team. Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson give UNC a stellar backcourt that will create major problems for the Bluebirds. Henson has missed the last 3 games with a wrist injury and he is questionable for this game.
The UNC defense has one main goal in this game and that is to try to contain star F Doug McDermott, who averaged over 23 ppg this season and is shooting a 3-pt FG% of just under 50%. How he goes the Bluebirds go and if the Tar Heels can keep him in check they will be in good shape. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
McDermott and Gregory Echenique are the 2 leading rebounders for the Bluebirds and they each giving up size inside to the 3 trees of the Tar Heels. These guys need to play good interior D and especially hit the boards in this game.
UNC PG Kendall Marshall leads the nation in assists and the Bluebirds have to stay in front of him and not allow him to get the ball deep to the frontcourt players.
The Tar Heels will have a little home court advantage with the game being played in Greensboro, North Carolina, which is only an hour away from Chapel Hill.
In some betting trends for this Midwest Region 3rd round game Creighton is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog, 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall, and they have an Over record of 6-1-1 in their last 8 non-conference games.
UNC is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games, 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record, and they have an Under record of 7-3 in their last 10 non-conference games.
Jason’s Pick: I like the Bluejays, but UNC simply is too strong inside and the Tar Heels will win this game and cover the spread.
