The ACC title is still up for grabs and the contest between North Carolina and Virginia will go a long way toward deciding the eventual winner. Following Monday’s heartbreaking loss to Miami, the Cavaliers return home where they are undefeated this season and have won two straight over the Tar Heels.
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HOW THE NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Two days after a crushing loss to rival Duke, the seventh-ranked Tar Heels responded with a stunningly dominating performance in a critical ACC game, romping past Miami in a matchup of teams tied for the league lead.
It wasn’t about UNC winning the basketball game. It was about how easily they did it. The Heels shot 54 percent and shut down the Hurricanes at every turn to lead by as many as 38 points, destroying the then-No. 11 team in the country.
It was a reminder of why North Carolina was the top-ranked team in the preseason. Six players hit double figures in scoring and the Tar Heels turned in an overwhelming performance they haven’t shown consistently this season. Maybe that Duke disaster was the wake-up call this team needed.
The backcourt play of Marcus Paige and Joel Berry will be a big factor against Virginia. The pair struggled again against Miami and Paige continues to be a mystery. For all the talent he has, the recent rough patch is concerning. UNC got away with it against Miami at home, but on the road against the Cavs could be another story.
HOW THE VIRGINIA CAVALIERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
This isn’t the same Virginia team that won the past two ACC regular season titles, though the Cavs are still very good in an immensely talented league. No one counted on them losing games at Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech or Florida State at the beginning of conference play.
While UVA was in all those games, just like it was at Miami on Monday night, the Cavaliers couldn’t pull them out. Losing to the Canes now presents an interesting challenge for Tony Bennett’s Cavs. It appears that Virginia must win out to three-peat.
And that’s why Saturday’s home game with UNC takes on added importance. If the Cavaliers can win that game, they at least have a chance to still win or tie for the regular season championship unless Miami runs the table.
One thing is for sure, though. Bennett must convince his team to bounce back after the Miami loss, just as the Hurricanes did after getting blown out by UNC last weekend. Virginia is unbeaten at home and faces a “must-win” situation. The Cavs also have beaten the Tar Heels on their last two visits to Charlottesville.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Virginia likes it chances with the game being played in its gym. The Cavs are 13-0 at JPJ Arena this season, compared to just a 4-6 road mark. It also falls in the “must-win” category for the Cavaliers if they want to entertain any thoughts of another ACC regular season title. The Cavs lost their cool against Miami and their usually strong interior defense let them down. Too many times they allowed easy buckets at the rim, something Malcolm Brogdon said was the difference. Virginia has made a living shutting down teams and that didn’t happen on Monday. If things don’t tighten up for the Cavs, Brice Johnson, Isaiah Hicks, and Kennedy Meeks will score all night. The Cavs want to seal off the paint, force UNC’s bigs to kick the ball out and let Paige and Berry go for the kill. The way those two have been shooting, that’s sound strategy and it will be successful.
Virginia 72, North Carolina 67
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