There's a legitimate chance that both the Virginia Cavaliers and North Carolina Tar Heels are going to see their names on the No. 1 line come Sunday when the NCAA Tournament brackets are released. The winner of Saturday's ACC Championship Game though, will leave no doubt whatsoever and will stake a claim to being the overall top seed and the favorite headed into the dance.
You can bet on college basketball odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
HOW THE VIRGINIA CAVALIERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
It's not shocking that UVA was able to beat this North Carolina team earlier this year in Charlottesville. What was surprising though, is that it won the game at the Tar Heels' pace. Both teams had over 75 possessions, a shocking development in a Virginia game which usually sees the Hoos on the wrong end of the scoreboard.
Still, that day, Malcolm Brogdon took over, scoring 26 points. The senior has had a fantastic ACC Tournament with 50 points in two games against Georgia Tech and Miami, and if he plays as well in this one as he did in those first two, the Cavaliers are going to have a real chance.
It's still advisable though, to try to slow this game down. Even the pace at which the Miami game on Friday night was played was faster than Tony Bennett would prefer, as both teams got into the 70s in possessions in that one. If the Cavaliers can hold North Carolina under 55 shots from the field and under 70 possessions, we think they'll be cutting down the nets on Saturday night in D.C.
HOW THE NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
We've said this about North Carolina time and time again. If the Heels are playing at their best, they're the best team in America.
Finally on Friday night we saw some of that. Marcus Paige had one of his best games of the second half of the year, scoring 16 points with seven assists and no turnovers in a romp of Notre Dame. He knocked down four threes, and he was swarming on the defensive end against Demetrius Jackson, who went just 1-of-10 from the floor for the Fighting Irish.
UNC went +20 on the glass against the Irish and held them to 30.0 percent shooting for the game. If the Heels can get a good game out of Paige and either of those two aforementioned stats play out similarly against UVA, they'll have a great chance to win the ACC.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
This is a real heavyweight fight and is can't miss TV for the college basketball fan. It wouldn't be shocking if these teams were both in the Final Four in a few weeks. We also think the game won't disappoint.
There's really nothing that's bothersome here from North Carolina's perspective. The team didn't have to exert that much energy against Notre Dame, and its bigs are fresh and ready to bang around with the Cavaliers. Virginia tends to be a little overmatched on the boards from time to time, and Brogdon isn't going to be able to win this game all by himself.
Though we do think that the Hoos will keep this game interesting on defense, as North Carolina proved yesterday, it can shoot 43.5 percent from the field and post a blowout. This one won't be out of hand, but we do think the Tar Heels will avenge their loss in Charlottesville to ensure themselves of that coveted top seed on Sunday.
North Carolina 73, Virginia 68
BookMaker 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 Sportsbook! The matchup between the Virginia Cavaliers and North Carolina Tar Heels will go down Saturday, March 12, 2016 at 9:00 p.m. ET at the Verizon Center. The matchup will be televised live on ESPN.
