Longtime rivals Maryland and North Carolina lock horns this Tuesday night at Dean E. Smith Center. The No.9 Tar Heels have won the last eight meetings in this series and will be striving to continue imposing their dominance on the second-ranked Terps. Who will emerge victorious in this marquee ACC/Big Ten Challenge game?
Read on below for a full breakdown of this must-see matchup. And if you’re craving for some NFL action, you can check out our in-depth preview of the Thursday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Maryland Terrapins vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Preview
Where: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
When: Tuesday, December 1, 9:30 PM ET
Line: Maryland Terrapins at North Carolina Tar Heels – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Maryland Terrapins (6-0)
So far, so good for the Maryland Terrapins. They’ve taken care of business throughout their first six games and have remained undefeated. (However, they are just 2-4 ATS thus far this season.) In that stretch, they’ve beaten their opponents by an average margin of 14.3 points and are racking up 77 points per game, which is among the highest in the nation.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ] Now, the Terps will be facing their toughest test this evening when they go on the road game for a blockbuster showdown with a very familiar foe—the ninth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels.
Fifth-year head coach Mark Turgeon has been very fortunate to have such a talented roster led by star point guard Melo Trimble. Trimble is posting team-highs of 14.8 PPG and 4.5 APG through six games and has been a nightmare matchup for opposing clubs. His ability to score at will and make plays for others makes the game so much easier for the entire team.
Apart from Trimble, the trio of Robert Carter (13.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG), Jake Layman (11.7 PPG) and Rasheed Sulaimon (11.2 PPG) has also been contributing to their cause. However, the three could be in for a long night against a UNC defense that’s just allowing 66.7 points per game.
Meanwhile, adding more fire power to the Terps is their emerging 6-foot-11 center in Diamond Stone. He’s finished in double figures in his previous two contests, including a career-high of 15 points opposite Cleveland State on Saturday.
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Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (5-1)
After suffering their first loss of the year to Northern Iowa about a week ago, the North Carolina Tar Heels have responded like their season depended on it. They won their next two games in resounding fashion, an 11-point win over Northwestern and a 10-point win against Kansas State. The Tar Heels will hope to keep this up versus their longtime nemesis in the No. 2 Maryland Terrapins.
That’s definitely easier said than done though. But fortunately, the Tar Heels will be in high spirits for this much-anticipated clash with Marcus Paige, who has yet to play a game this season, expected to return tonight. The senior point guard, who averaged 14.1 PPG and 4.5 APG in 2014, will undoubtedly boost further UNC’s already-loaded offense.
Furthermore, the pair of Justin Jackson and Kennedy Meeks should also be a huge problem for the Terps to handle. The two forwards have been carrying the offensive load during Paige’s absence, averaging 14.7 PPG and 14.3 PPG respectively.
But the Tar Heels, who are 5-0 and 2-2-1 ATS at home this year, need to exhibit a high level of effort on defense versus a Maryland squad that’s currently shooting the rock at a sizzling rate of 59 percent in the past two games and posting 81.3 points per game.
That said, the pressure is on North Carolina to make sure to avoid any mishaps or miscommunications in their coverages at all cost. Meanwhile, senior forward Brice Johnson (13.0 PPG, 10.3 PPG and 1.3 BPG) ought to continue being an intimidating force in the paint.
Writer’s Prediction
Maryland wins, 74-70.
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