The North Carolina Tar Heels are looking to get back to the NCAA Championship Game for the third straight season. North Carolina lost to Villanova two years ago at the buzzer, but the Tar Heels claimed their sixth national championship with a win over Gonzaga last year.
Not many are expecting North Carolina to repeat, but this team is a No. 2 seed for a reason. The Tar Heels will square off against the Texas A&M Aggies with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line this Sunday.
This war on the floor will go down Sunday, March 18, 2018, at 5:15 p.m. ET at Spectrum Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The game will be televised live on CBS. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game throughout March Madness.
Opening NCAAB Basketball Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Texas A&M +6
North Carolina -6
Over/Under 152
The Tar Heels were unable to cover the spread against Lipscomb, but they were never in danger of losing. North Carolina steadily added to its lead throughout the game and comfortably knocked off the Bisons 84-66. This game easily went under the total as Lipscomb just could not hit its threes.
Texas A&M overcame an awful start to move into the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies missed their first 10 shots from the field, not scoring for the first six and a half minutes of game time, but sunk 68 percent of their field goals in the second half to pull away for the win. Texas A&M covered the short spread of 2.5 with the victory.
Matchup to Watch
It will be very interesting to see who wins the rebounding battle between these two teams. North Carolina and Texas A&M both dominated the glass in their first round games, with the Tar Heels outrebounding the Bisons 47-29 and the Aggies outrebounding the Friars 44-26.
Two players hold down the paint for Texas A&M. Robert Williams and Tyler Davis combined to grab 29 rebounds against Providence, and that played a huge role in the Aggies victory. These two have extraordinary length and gave the Aggies plenty of second chances to beat the Friars with their strength in the paint.
North Carolina always seems to be one of the best rebounding teams in the country. The Tar Heels nearly had three players finish in double-digits in rebounding against Lipscomb, with Theo Pinson and Sterling Manley each grabbing 10 rebounds, while Luke Maye snagged nine. UNC has much more frontcourt depth than Texas A&M and will have the advantage in the low post if the Aggies’ two big men get into foul trouble.
Player to Watch
Joel Berry II has not seen his senior season go as he wanted. Although he is one of the team’s starters and a major contributor, this is his worst shooting year yet. For the first time in his career, he is under 40 percent from the field, and he shot exactly 40 percent in the win over Lipscomb.
Along those lines, he is no longer the team’s top three-point shooting option. Berry is just 35.5 percent from downtown on the year, but that hasn’t stopped him from firing away. He has at least six three-point attempts in each of North Carolina’s last five games.
Berry’s defense has kept him on the court despite his shooting woes. He is a great on-the-ball defender and does not get beat off the dribble.
Free March Madness ATS Picks
There are two big factors working for North Carolina in this one. First, the Tar Heels are playing a virtual home game in Charlotte. Second, UNC has much more depth and will being more energy to this game. Look for North Carolina to pick up the win and the cover.
NCAAB Basketball Betting Odds: North Carolina 80 Texas A&M 68
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
