The Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-1, 0-0 WCC) and North Carolina Tar Heels (6-4, 1-1 ACC) battle at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash. at 9 p.m. ET. We analyze the North Carolina-Gonzaga odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.
North Carolina at Gonzaga: Three things you need to know
1. The Tar Heels are injury ravaged, as all kinds of key personnel are fighting through injury to play or they’re sidelined. Star Cole Anthony (knee) will miss at least four weeks due to arthroscopic knee surgery, while G Leaky Black (foot) is battling through a sprained right foot.
2. UNC is on a three-game winning streak in this series, going 3-1 all-time vs. Gonzaga.
3. Gonzaga enters as the much healthier team. F Filip Petrusev leads the team with 15.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game.
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North Carolina at Gonzaga: Odds, betting lines and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:00 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Gonzaga 84, North Carolina 63
Moneyline (ML)
Gonzaga (-667) is an overwhelming favorite to beat the banged-up and struggling visitors from North Carolina (+475), but you can’t risk nearly seven times the return. Look to the spread instead.
A $10 bet on the Bulldogs to win outright would return a profit of just $1.50.
Against the Spread (ATS)
GONZAGA (-10.5, -134) remembers the 103-90 beating it took against North Carolina (+10.5, +110) the last time these teams faced. The Bulldogs are not going to feel sorry for UNC’s injury woes and poor shooting from the perimeter. Look for the Bulldogs to house the Tar Heels in this one.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 145.5 (-106) is a nice small-unit play, especially as part of a parlay. The only concern with the Over is whether or not the Tar Heels can generate enough offense in a potential blowout. They rank 310th in the nation in 3-point shooting, and that’s a huge concern.
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