The No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels (+1,300 to win the national title) slipped down to No. 3 in the ACC standings after a loss to the Virginia Cavaliers, but they remain a force to reckon with in the conference. Their upset over the Duke Blue Devils on Wednesday certainly helps that assertion, even if there is a bold asterisks beside that win. The No. 16 Florida State Seminoles (+8,000), meanwhile, have been among the hottest teams in the nation since late January, but are they hot enough to take down the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill?
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Betting Preview for the Florida State Seminoles vs. North Carolina Tar Heels College Basketball Game on February 23, 2019
Where: Dean Smith Center, Chapel Hill
When: Saturday, February 23, 2019, 3:45 PM ET
Line: Florida State Seminoles (odds) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Florida State Seminoles (21-5 Overall / 9-4 Conference)
As of this writing, the ‘Noles are gearing up fr a Tuesday matchup with the Clemson Tigers on the road. They will enter that game carrying a seven-game unbeaten streak. As impressive that run is, Florida has only beaten two squads with a winning records in the ACC over that stretch. Still, those two wins by Florida State against the Syracuse Orange and the Louisville Cardinals speak volumes about how potent the Seminoles are. The Seminoles’ offense and defense are both in the upper half of the conference’s rankings. They have an offensive efficiency of 105.4, which is sixth in the ACC, and a defense that’s giving up only 96.8 points per 100 possessions – fifth in the league. Florida is allowing just 67.6 points per game this season, but has been better of late, surrendering only 62.7 points in the three games prior to the date with Clemson.
Florida State is 6-4 ATS in its last 10 games in Chapel Hill dating back to 2003.
Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (21-5 Overall / 11-2 Conference)
The talk of the ACC this week was the first meeting between the Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils this season on Wednesday. That game did not go as expected, with North Carolina pulling off a 16-point upset (88-72) over the #1 ranked Duke. However, while the Tar Heels played well, the blowout win was all due to Duke’s Zion Williamson knee injury which occurred just 33 seconds of the game. That’s the only analysis of that matchup you need to know – losing Williamson is everything. So how else can we look at North Carolina’s chances this weekend?
The Tar Heels lost to No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers at home last week, but got right back up thanks to a 95-87 demolition job of a win in a gimme game over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem. North Carolina unleashed its full offensive fury on the hapless Demon Deacons, as the Tar Heels made 62.3 percent of their shots and banged in 16 3-pointers, seven coming from Cameron Johnson, who finished with a game-high 27 points. The Tar Heels are not always going to shoot like that, especially against better quality opponents in the ACC, but they still have the best offense in the conference. They lead the league with 87.5 points per game on 47.5 field goal percentage. Their offense is also being fueled by their fantastic job on the glass, as North Carolina is No. 1 in the nation with 43.0 rebounds per contest.
At home so far this season, the Tar Heels are 11-3 straight up (SU) and 6-6-2 ATS.
Writer’s Prediction
North Carolina wins, 83-77.
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