Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels NCAAB Betting Preview
Where: Dean E. Smith Center – Chapel Hill, NC
When: Wednesday, February 22, 2017, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Louisville Cardinals (+7.5) at North Carolina Tar Heels (-7.5); total: 155.5 – view all NCAA basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
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Betting on the Louisville Cardinals (22-5, 10-4 ACC)
With the 94-90 win against Virginia Tech over the weekend, the Cardinals are now 15-1 at home this season. They shot the ball well (51.5 percent) and took care of the ball (only three turnovers), but it wasn’t easy. They had to endure the Hokies swishing 17 three-pointers, 11 of which came from Seth Allen and Ty Outlaw.
Donovan Mitchell, for the nth time this season, rescued Louisville from a scare of an inferior rival, as he posted a game-high 26 points (five treys). The sophomore is now averaging 21.7 points on 51-percent shooting in his last seven games.
Against the Tar Heels, Mitchell and the Cards’ number two scorer Quentin Snider should be able to continue providing the goods – the latter is contributing 15.3 points and 4.7 assists since coming back from a hip injury last week. The pair’s recent good showing has now lifted the team into placing 17th in the offensive efficiency rankings.
As for the defense, although it has dropped a few spots in Kenpom.com’s list (first to fifth), it’s still one of the most destructive and productive defenses in the nation. They are in the top two in the ACC in points, rebounds, and assists given up, along with only allowing opponents to shoot 42.7 percent from the field (also second in the conference).
The Cardinals are 4-2 in their last six games on the road (5-1 ATS).
Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (23-5, 11-3 ACC)
The Tar Heels will be coming off a pair of 24-point blowout wins. After easily dispatching the one-man team of NC State, they almost didn’t break a sweat for Virginia’s horrid offense, limiting the Cavaliers to a woeful 27.8-percent shooting.
With Louisville being one of the best defenses in the nation, UNC is making the matchup extra intriguing with their potent offense. We should see a good, entertaining battle between the scoring ability of Justin Jackson (18.6 PPG) and Joel Berry (14.6 PPG) and the Cardinals’ best stoppers.
Jackson, Berry, Kennedy Meeks, and Isaiah Hicks, who are unofficially the Tar Heels’ “big four,” are powering the the team to lead the ACC in scoring (84.2 PPG), rebounds (42.7 PPG), assists (17.8 PPG), and field goals (31.7 per game).
North Carolina is 16-1 at home this season (12-5 ATS).
Writer’s Prediction
Louisville (+7.5) escapes with a close win, 85-83.
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