Florida State Seminoles vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Preview
Where: Dean E. Smith Center — Chapel Hill, North Carolina
When: Saturday, January 14, 2:00 PM ET
Line: Florida State Seminoles vs. North Carolina Tar Heels – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
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Betting on the Florida State Seminoles (16-1, 4-0 ACC)
The ninth-ranked Seminoles are one of only two teams (Notre Dame) left unbeaten in the ACC. They’ve kicked off conference play with four-straight wins, including three-consecutive victories versus ranked opponents in Virginia, Virginia Tech and, most recently, Duke.
Florida State now aims to add the Blue Devils into that list this weekend. On paper, both programs look evenly matched but momentum and confidence is where the Seminoles currently have the upper hand. They are, after all, winners of their last 12 games and have lost just once—versus Temple—this season.
Their success can be mostly credited to a highly-efficient offense that’s putting up 86.7 points per contest this season. Florida State has three very savvy scorers averaging double digits, with Dwayne Bacon’s 17.8 PPG leading the way.
Defensively, the Seminoles have dominated opponents as well. They’re giving up 65.0 points on average in their current 12-game run. But surely, it’s going to be easier said than done in limiting UNC’s attack, which has collected no less than 89 points in the last three outings.
The Seminoles are 5-5 SU and 4-5-1 ATS in their previous 10 road games.
Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (15-3, 3-1 ACC)
UNC’s offense is firing on all cylinders right now, gathering an average of 96.8 points in its last three games. That stretch includes a 102-point effort in a blowout win over Monmouth, a game in which the Tar Heels shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and went 12-of-27 from down town.
Justin Jackson, their leading scorer (17.7 PPG), has spearheaded this offensive onslaught, finishing with at least 16 points in his last five games. Joel Berry II, meanwhile, is chipping in 22.6 points in his previous three, including a career-high 31 points and seven treys in the overtime win against Clemson.
Both Jackson and Berry, however, will face a disciplined Florida State defense that should be able to force them into uncomfortable spots or contested shots. Thus, the Tar Heels need to receive another productive output from each of their starters, who all scored in double figures during Wednesday night’s victory at Wake Forest.
North Carolina is 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
UNC wins it, 81-77.
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