The 9-seed Wisconsin Badgers (17-12) meet the 8-seed North Carolina Tar Heels (18-10) in an NCAA South Region First Round game on Friday. The game tips off at 7:10 p.m. ET at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.
Below, we look at the early March Madness Round 1 matchup Wisconsin-North Carolina odds and lines. Will one of these teams end up as this year’s National Champion? Don’t forget to check out all of the teams’ March Madness odds.
Wisconsin has had an up-and-down season. The Badgers went 10-10 in conference play. They bowed out of the league tournament after one win and are just 2-6 in their last eight games. UW has shot just 39.2% from the field over that stretch.
The Badgers play a slow-paced brand of basketball, and they take good care of the rock. Wisconsin has one of the best turnover rates in NCAA-I. UW plays low-scoring games and the Badgers are 14-14-1 O/U in its 29 games.
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North Carolina went 10-6 in ACC play, finishing fifth in the 15-team circuit. UNC trots out a big lineup (four players 6-foot-10 or bigger in the rotation), one accomplished on the boards (best in the nation on the offensive glass), and on the inside game.
But, the Tar Heels struggle from distance (31.7% on 3-point attempts), and they can be inconsistent with their overall shooting. North Carolina often shoots over 50% from the floor or under 44% but rarely something in between, which is where most teams live.
UNC has won seven national championships (1924, 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, and 2017). Winning as an 8-seed would be a longshot: BetMGM odds for UNC winning it all are +5000 (50-to-1).
Wisconsin vs. North Carolina: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 12:12 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Wisconsin +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | North Carolina -140 (bet $140 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Wisconsin +2 (-110) | North Carolina -2 (-110)
- Over/Under: 139.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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