The debate over whether North Carolina should be the No. 1 team in the country can be put to rest for a while. The Tar Heels saw their 12-game winning streak come to an end and the race for the top spot in the ACC tightened up with their loss at Louisville on Monday. The Irish will try and get closer by beating UNC for a third straight time.
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HOW THE NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
North Carolina had an off-night offensively against Louisville on Monday, shooting just 34.5 percent from the floor with its lowest point total of the season in a 71-65 loss. Notre Dame isn’t as athletic as the Cardinals on defense and UNC won’t lack for production this time against an Irish squad that surrenders nearly 70 points per game.
No one is tougher to defend than the Tar Heels, mainly because of the balance throughout the roster. All five starters are averaging double-digit points while Isaiah Hicks is right behind them at 9.9 per game. If one player has an off-night, the rest of the squad can usually pick up the slack. There is simply no way to stop everyone.
Whether or not there are still some lingering injuries, it’s clear Marcus Paige still isn’t performing to his ability. He’s become more of a true point guard this season, working hard to get his teammates involved. But his scoring has dropped and his shooting has been way off. The team clearly has enough depth to overcome his slide, though it would be nice if Paige could put up big numbers against better opponents coming up on the schedule.
HOW THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Irish were ecstatic to get Demetrius Jackson back in the lineup since he greases the wheels of Notre Dame’s offense. Jackson sat out the game at Syracuse last week and the Irish produced a dud, losing to the Orange 81-66. The hamstring injury sustained by Jackson had coach Mike Brey concerned until the senior said he felt much better before the Wake Forest game.
And he certainly did. Jackson showed just how much he means to the Irish by flirting again with the school’s second-ever triple double. He went for 14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals as the Irish bounced back from the disappointing loss in New York to roll over Wake Forest 85-62.
Injuries again forced Brey to juggle his lineup, but he seemingly found a combination that works. The coach went with an all upperclassmen starting five against Wake and all five starters delivered double figures in points, led by Zach Auguste’s 21. He also grabbed 12 rebounds for his 12th double-double.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
This college basketball game has the makings of a shootout with two prolific offenses. Notre Dame got its sparkplug Jackson back in the lineup and he makes the team fly. When he sat out against Syracuse last week, the Irish struggled. He makes everyone better while adding a team-high 16.5 points per game. Notre Dame is also tough at home, with its only loss a four-point decision to a tough Pitt squad. Expect the Tar Heels to rebound from a poor shooting night at Louisville on Monday. UNC was below 35 percent from the field and put up a season-low point total in the loss. Notre Dame isn’t as stout defensively as the Cardinals and UNC has too many weapons to again struggle from the floor. While the Tar Heels look to recover from a poor outing on Monday, they’re also looking at a two-game losing skid to the Irish. Another motivating factor in what will become a UNC victory.
North Carolina 83, Notre Dame 76
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