Tag: north carolina tar heels

North Carolina at Notre Dame college basketball odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s North Carolina Tar Heels at Notre Dame Fighting Irish sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball picks.

The North Carolina Tar Heels (10-15, 3-11 ACC) travel north to meet the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (15-10, 6-8 ACC) in a Monday night ACC clash at Purcell Pavillion at the Joyce Center for a 7 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the North Carolina-Notre Dame odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.

North Carolina at Notre Dame: Three things you need to know

1. The Fighting Irish are coming off back to back losses to Duke (94-60) and Virginia (50-49 in overtime) and look to right the ship on their home hardwood where they average 79.9 points per game. The Tar Heels head into this game on a five-game losing skid. UNC has trailed throughout four of those five losses.

2. Seniors G Brandon Robinson being out with an ankle injury hurts North Carolina. Robinson has been UNC’s primary threat from 3-point range where he’s a 35% shooter. The fourth-year letterman has averaged a career-high 13.1 PPG in 16 starts this season. The Tar Heels have shot just 26.2% from 3-point-land over their last 11 games.

3. UND is coming off its worst two back-to-back shooting games this season. The Irish shot a combined 34.7% from the field over losses to Duke and Virginia. Over three home games from Jan. 29-Feb. 5, Notre Dame shot 45.6% from the floor and a robust 37.7% from distance.

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North Carolina at Notre Dame: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Notre Dame 76, North Carolina 71

Moneyline (ML)

Notre Dame (-175) is expected to win this Monday home game over North Carolina (+145). We’ll PASS on the moneyline with better value available on the spread.

Against the Spread (ATS)

The Fighting Irish are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall, and they are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine home games. The home teams is 7-2 ATS over the last nine games of the UNC-UND series.

Look for the Fighting Irish to take good care of the basketball. A low-turnover game will mitigate a UNC edge on the boards, making UND a solid play to win by a couple scores. BACK NOTRE DAME (-2.5, -129) to win by at least 3 points.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Over is 7-2-1 across Notre Dame’s last 10 games. The Under is 3-13 over North Carolina’s last 16 road tilts.

The number here is a respectable one, and we’ll PASS on the projected total of 147.5 (Over: -110, Under: -110).

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Ohio State men’s tennis falls to North Carolina in semifinals of ITA Indoor Championships

The Ohio State men’s tennis team fell to No. 5 North Carolina in the semifinals of the ITA Indoor Championship Sunday.

The Ohio State men’s tennis team fell short of defending its ITA Indoor national title Sunday, falling to the North Carolina Tar Heels 4-0 in the semifinals.

For the first time all season, the Buckeyes dropped the doubles point to get off on the wrong foot. John McNally and Robert Cash fell 2-6 to William Blumberg and Brian Cernoch of UNC. James Trotter and Justin Boulais then lost a tight 4-6 contest to Simon Soendergaard and Mac Kiger, resulting in a 1-0 lead for North Carolina.

In singles, things didn’t go much better. Justin Boulais fell to Rinki Hijitaka 2-6, 2-6 to give the Tar Heels a quick 2-0 lead. Robert Cash then lost 1-6, 2-6 to Simon Soendergaard and the Buckeyes were suddenly in a huge 3-0 hole. James Trotter then lost a tight one 4-6, 5-7 to Brian Cernoch and the run was over.

For Ohio State, it was bound to happen at some point. The Buckeyes had been on an unbelievable run of knocking off top-ten opponents, but it was not meant to be Sunday as the Buckeyes were off their game at the wrong time.

OSU will try to rebound when it’s next in action against Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana on February 22.

 

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Controversial no-call sets up Duke’s thrilling OT win over UNC

Did referees blow these crucial calls at the end of Duke-UNC?

The greatest rivalry in college basketball provided all-timer on Saturday in Chapel Hill, which featured ridiculous endings to regulation and overtime.

Duke overcame a 10-point deficit with just over two minutes to play, and guard Tre Jones saved the Blue Devils at the buzzer with an intentionally missed free-throw that enabled him to hit a game-tying buzzer beater.

The ending to overtime was every bit as wild. North Carolina fell behind early in the overtime period but fought back to lead by five with just 21 seconds remaining. Buckets from Jones and Wendell Moore cut the Tar Heels’ lead to one point with 13 seconds left, and the Blue Devils got the ball back on a controversial inbounds play that resulted in a North Carolina turnover.

UNC inbounded the ball to Andrew Platek, and Duke’s Moore lunged for the ball as Platek caught it. The ball was knocked loose and went out of bounds, and Platek hit the floor after taking slight contact from Moore – but officials did not call a foul on the play, and ruled on the court that the ball was off of Platek.

ESPN commentator Jay Bilas couldn’t believe the no call, arguing that Moore clearly fouled Platek. Officials went to a replay review to determine who touched the ball last, but there wasn’t clear evidence that the ball was off Moore, so they stuck with the original call.

Duke got the ball to Jones, who drove to the basket and drew a foul. Jones hit the first shot to tie the game at 96-96 – but missed the go-ahead shot. Moore tipped the ball back out and Duke retained the ball, allowing Jones to try and attempt a game-winner before the clock expired. Jones missed his off-balance attempt, but Moore caught the airball and put it in off the glass to win the game.

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Tre Jones saves Duke with miraculous buzzer-beater to force OT vs. UNC

This was wild.

Duke and North Carolina played a thriller in Chapel Hill on Saturday, and Tre Jones delivered one of the wildest highlights in the history of the rivalry to force overtime and complete a miraculous Duke comeback.

North Carolina shot above 50 percent from the game and led throughout, and had Duke on the ropes late in the second half, leading by 10 with 2:18 remaining in the game.

Point guard Tre Jones led a furious Duke comeback to give the Blue Devils a chance, but he needed a miracle just to force OT. Up 84-82, North Carolina fouled Jones with 4.4 seconds remaining to prevent Duke from hitting a game-winning three. Jones made his first free-throw, and intentionally missed the second to try and create an opportunity to tie or win the game – and executed the play to perfection.

Jones heaved the ball off the back of the rim to himself, managed to avoid turning the ball over, and hit a buzzer-beater to stun the crowd in Chapel Hill.

Former Duke players watching the game couldn’t believe it.

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Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina Tar Heels college basketball odds, picks and best bets

Analyzing Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina Tar Heels sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks and tips.

The Duke Blue Devils (19-3) head to Chapel Hill to play their longtime rival, the North Carolina Tar Heels (10-12), in the Dean E. Smith Center at 6:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Duke-North Carolina odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.

Duke at North Carolina: Three things you need to know

  1. Duke versus North Carolina is one of college basketball’s most storied rivalries. Today will be the 250th meeting between the two schools and the Tar Heels lead the Blue Devils in the all-time series, 138-111.
  2. This North Carolina team is on pace to be the worst Tar Heel team of the Roy Williams era. The Tar Heels have made the NCAA Tournament in 16 of Williams’ 17 seasons at the helm and have never finished below .500.
  3. The Blue Devils come into today’s game on a four-game winning streak after taking back-to-back losses to the Louisville Cardinals and Clemson Tigers. Their star freshman center, Vernon Carey Jr., averaged 20 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in those four wins.

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Duke at North Carolina: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:15 a.m. ET.

Prediction

UNC 73, Duke 70

Moneyline (ML)

This is a fringe play, but let’s SPRINKLE A SMALL WAGER ON NORTH CAROLINA +280 on the money line. From a recruiting standpoint, Duke does have a talent advantage: The Blue Devils have eight RSCI top-100 recruits compared to the Tar Heels’ five top-100 recruits. But North Carolina has the most prized recruit out of the two teams in PG Cole Anthony, who should be a top-5 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft. Between he and PF Garrison Brooks—who’s averaging 14.9 points and nine rebounds per game make him a difficult matchup for Duke’s Carey Jr.—the Tar Heels have real money line value in the Smith Center. 

Against the Spread (ATS)

Betting trends are in favor of BETTING NORTH CAROLINA +8 (-115). First, the Tar Heels are 5-1 against the spread in their last six meetings versus Duke. Second, North Carolina is 4-3 ATS on the road against above .500 teams and 1-0 ATS when getting 7.5-9.5 points. Since 2015, North Carolina’s ACC conference game ATS record is better than Duke’s—the Tar Heels are 52-42-2 ATS, while the Blue Devils are 44-50-2 ATS against ACC competition.

Over/Under (O/U)

We are on the UNDER 150.5 (-115) in North Carolina-Duke. The Under correlates with our Tar Heels money line and ATS picks because they have the most Unders in the ACC with a 7-14-1 Over/Under record. Also, the last six North Carolina-Duke games have gone Under. 

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Duke and UNC are wearing ghastly alternate uniforms for rivalry game

This is a terrible look.

Duke vs. North Carolina is the best rivalry in college sports, but when both teams take the floor Saturday night at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, they’ll be wearing some of the worst jerseys you’ll see all season.

Duke and North Carolina have iconic primary uniforms, but to commemorate the 100th year of the rivalry, each team is wearing a special alternate uniform inspired by the jerseys worn when UNC defeated what was then called Trinity College in their first meeting in 1920. As it turns out, uniform designers weren’t doing a great job 100 years ago.

Duke and North Carolina will each be wearing their respective shade of blue on Saturday, which should make for a visual reminiscent of NFL color rush matchups.

It’s possible that Duke may have introduced both the best and worst uniforms in program history this year. The Blue Devils’ “Brotherhood” alternates are phenomenal, but the rivalry alternates should never be worn again.

Duke vs. UNC will start at 6:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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Clemson snaps 0-59 streak in Chapel Hill, stuns North Carolina in OT

Clemson beat North Carolina on the road for the first time ever on Saturday.

The Clemson Tigers came to Chapel Hill on Saturday knowing they had arguably the best chance in program history to win inside the Dean Smith Center, with the injury-plagued North Carolina Tar Heels struggling mightily early in the season.

Clemson had never won a road game at North Carolina in 59 previous meetings, but thanks to the heroics of junior forward Aamir Simms, who forced overtime with a clutch last-second three in regulation, the Tigers pulled off a historic upset.

Clemson trailed by 10 points at halftime, and the Tar Heels remained in control of the game for the majority of the second half. North Carolina led by 10, 68-58, with two minutes remaining in the game – but Simms ended the game on a personal 9-2 run. With the clock running and the Tigers down three points, Roy Williams elected not to foul and deny a three-point opportunity, and Simms buried a game-tying shot with three seconds remaining. In overtime, Simms hit a driving shot with 18 seconds left to put the Tigers up by three, and the Tar Heels were unable to answer.

For the first time ever, Clemson players were able to celebrate a win on the road against one of college basketball’s greatest programs.

 

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Roy Williams dunks on his struggling Tar Heels team: ‘This is not a very gifted team’

Roy Williams isn’t happy with what he called the “least gifted team” he’s ever coached at North Carolina.

North Carolina began the college basketball season ranked 11th in the coaches poll and 9th in the AP top-25, but Roy Williams’ Tar Heels have gone 1-3 against ranked teams and are 1-2 in the ACC to start the year. With star Cole Anthony out with a knee injury, it’s possible that North Carolina (8-6) could go on to miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010, barring a mid-season turnaround.

Over the weekend, the Tar Heels suffered an embarrassing loss on their own floor to Georgia Tech, falling behind by 20 at halftime in a game they eventually lost 96-83. On his radio show earlier this week, coach Williams called out his team, and labeled them the “least gifted” squad he’s ever coached in Chapel Hill.

Via 24/7 Sports:

“God almighty, they outscored us in the paint, 58-36. They shot 60 percent. We shot 42. How many different reasons – we sucked! Excuse me, we stunk. We were not very good. The crazy thing about it is our team, and we’ve had some very gifted teams, this is not a very gifted team. It’s just not. Two freshmen replace Coby (White) and Nassir (Little) with Armando (Bacot) and Cole (Anthony) and with Cole being hurt right now it’s sort of a decent trade, but that’s not that bad a trade. But Kenny (Williams), Cam (Johnson) and Luke (Maye), there’s nobody to replace those guys.

“So, it’s probably the least gifted team I have ever coached in the time that I’ve been back here. So, if you’re going to be like that, you need to bring your A-game even though your A-game might not even be an A-game.”

North Carolina still has five matchups against ranked ACC teams on the schedule not including the ACC Tournament, including the two annual meetings with Duke, so the Tar Heels have plenty of chances to score marquee victories and improve their resume. Williams’ “tell your players they suck” approach may not be the best motivational tactic, but time will tell.

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Military Bowl: North Carolina vs. Temple odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Military Bowl between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Temple Owls, with betting odds, picks, tips and best bets.

The North Carolina Tar Heels (6-6) and Temple Owls (8-4) do battle at the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman Friday. Kickoff at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. is set for 12 p.m. ET. We analyze the North Carolina-Temple odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

North Carolina vs. Temple: Three things you need to know

1. UNC has a fairly extensive bowl history dating back to the 1947 Sugar Bowl. The Tar Heels made four bowl appearances under head coach Mack Brown in his first tenure in Chapel Hill, going 3-1 from 1993-1997. The last time they faced an AAC team in a bowl game they dusted Cincinnati 39-17 at the Belk Bowl Dec. 28, 2013.

2. Temple will be appearing in its ninth-ever bowl game, posting a 3-5 straight-up record in its previous eight postseason showings. The Owls fell to Duke by a 56-27 score in the Independence Bowl last season. They spanked Florida International 28-3 in the Gasparilla Bowl the previous year, and this is the fifth straight year the Owls have appeared in a bowl, going 1-3 SU in the previous four.

3. Temple didn’t play in Annapolis this season, but it won at Navy by a 24-17 score Oct. 13, 2018, and the Owls have won and covered in each of their past two games at NMCMS, albeit vs. Navy. Still, they’re comfortable here.

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North Carolina vs. Temple: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 2:45 p.m. ET.

Prediction

North Carolina 33, Temple 27

Moneyline (ML)

North Carolina (-200) was rolling offensively down the stretch, including a total of 97 in its final two games against FCS Mercer and rival North Carolina State. Still, a 2-to-1 investment on the moneyline isn’t a good idea. PASS and bet the spread instead.

Against the Spread (ATS)

NORTH CAROLINA (-4.5, -110) is in line for a cover. The Tar Heels have scored 27 or more points in four straight games, and in six of their past seven, and they’re rolling offensively. Defensively, they allowed just 17 points in the final two outings.

Temple (+4.5, -110) has had success in Annapolis before, yes, but the Owls haven’t faced a Power 5 team like UNC there before. The Owls were a lot more prolific offensively when they were at home. On the road, they averaged just 20.0 points per game in five games while posting 32.7 PPG in seven home contests.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 52.5 (-115) is a nice play in this one. The Over is 8-3 in UNC’s past 11 against winning teams, and 5-2 in Temple’s past seven showings at a neutral site.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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After six years, Ohio State basketball held its own in the CBS Sports Classic

The Ohio State basketball program held its own against other blue-bloods of college basketball during the history of the CBS Sports Classic

When the CBS Sports Classic was first announced as a three-year run from 2014 through 2016, many asked which of these things don’t belong. The deal with the whole event was to pit some of the most dominant programs in college basketball history against one another in a round robin, three-year tournament.

But many asked why Ohio State was put among blue bloods Kentucky, UCLA, and North Carolina. I mean, the Buckeyes are a football school right, and lack the pedigree of those three dominant programs?

Well, yes, and no.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll continue to say it until we’re blue (but not Carolina or Kentucky blue) in the face. If it weren’t for football, Ohio State might be known as a basketball school.

The Buckeyes only have one national title to their credit, but they have as many Big Ten championships as any team in the conference when adding together regular season and Big Ten Tournament titles. Ohio Sate is also tied for sixth in Final Fours in the history of the sport, and have a slew of NCAA appearances and wins — even some national players of the year to boast about.

So, it should be no surprise then that Ohio State backed up that history with a respectable showing against those three other schools after the CBS Sports Classic was extended to six years, the last of which just ended this past weekend.

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It was an up and down affair to be sure over that time, but with the win over Kentucky on Saturday, OSU finished with a 3-3 record, second only to North Carolina who went 4-2. The Wildcats tied Ohio State with a 3-3 record, while UCLA had the worst showing of the four schools with a 2-4 record over the six years.

Here’s how the Buckeyes fared against each:

Kentucky: OSU went 2-0 (wins in 2015 and 2019)
UCLA: OSU went 1-1 (lost in 2016, won in 2018)
North Carolina: OSU went 0-2 (lost in 2014 and 2017)

And what about Chris Holtmann? He’s done well for himself going 2-1, with the lone loss coming to North Carolina in 2017.

There’s been no news about extending the event for another three years, but it sure was a fun tournament to showcase Ohio State over the last six years. We’ll have to see if CBS liked it enough, and if the four programs believe it fits into their scheduling philosophy going forward.

Not bad for a football school eh?