Terrapins vs #6 Tar Heels NCAAB Handicapping Prediction
UNC (25-4) is on track to play for the ACC title and possible snag a #1 seed in the Big Dance in Saturday’s HUGE match up with Duke, but the Tar Heels cannot overlook a Maryland (16-12) team that has won 2 of their last 4 games.
Venue/ Stadium: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC
Time/Date: 7 PM EST Wednesday, February 29, 2012
NCAA Odds From: Bovada
Moneyline: OFF
Spread (ATS): UNC -18.5
Over/Under: 150
Maryland Terrapins vs. No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels Preview
Maryland is 6-8 in ACC play and they may have to win this game to have any chance to get in the NCAA tournament.
In their last games Maryland lost to Georgia Tech 63-61 while UNC won their 5th straight with a 54-51 win over Virginia.
This season UNC is 15-13 ATS with an O/U record of 13-15 and Maryland is 11-12-1 ATS with an O/U record of 12-12.
The Terrapins lost to the Tar Heels at Maryland earlier this season 83-74.
Maryland is only 1-7 on the road this season and they have lost 13 straight games to teams ranked in the top 25.
The big question in this game is can the Terrapins contain the frontcourt of UNC, which is the best in the nation? Not likely. Harrison Barnes (17.7 ppg), 7′ Tyler Zeller (15.7 ppg 9.3 rpg), and John Henson (14 ppg 10.4 rpg) give the Tar Heels a stellar frontcourt and each has been playing well, especially Henson recording a double-double in 7 of his last 8 games. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Maryland defense will have their hands full facing a Tar Heels squad that is the 3rd highest scoring team in the nation and on top of that UNC ranks 1st in the nation in rebounding.
For The Terrapins to have any chance at an upset they will need a big game from ACC scoring leader Terrell Stoglin (21.2 ppg) and G Sean Mosley (10.4 ppg), as this backcourt duo will have to shoot lights out tonight.
6’8″ James Padgett (9 ppg 5.7 rpg) and 7’1″ freshman C Alex Len (6.2 ppg 5.4 rpg) have a tall task of keeping the Tar Heels from killing them in the paint and on the glass.
In some betting trends for this ACC match up Maryland is 4-11 ATS in their last 15 road games, 3-10 ATS in their last 13 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, and they have an Under record of 4-0 in their last 4 road games.
UNC is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record, and they have an Under record of 4-1 in their last 5 games.
Jason’s Pick: This game will all come down to if the Maryland guards can knock down the J. Well, maybe not come down to, but if they can do that they will not be blown out. I think UNC will easily win this game on senior night, but giving 18.5 points is a lot and I think Maryland will cover the big spread.
