The Notre Dame Fighting Irish suffered their first conference of the season on Wednesday against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. They will look to recover this Saturday at home versus the high-scoring No. 20 North Carolina Tar Heels. Register to bet and wager with your pick.
Betting Preview for the North Carolina Tar Heels vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Basketball Game on January 13 2018
Where: Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center
When: Saturday, January 13, 2018 6:00 PM EST
Line: North Carolina Tar Heels vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish –view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (12-3)
North Carolina averted a three-game skid on Tuesday, when the Tar Heels stopped a two-game skid with a dominant 96-66 win over the Boston College Eagles. The defending national champions vented all their frustrations on the a hapless BC squad, as they shot 50.0 percent from the floor and massively outrebounded the Eagles, 58-23. It was like BC owed the Tar Heels money. North Carolina is not likely to give the same treatment to a stronger opponent like the Fighting Irish, but the Tar Heels should still be favored to out-muscle Notre Dame. For one, North Carolina is tops in the nation in rebounds with 44.6 boards a game. Notre Dame, on the other hand, only gets 36.8. The Tar Heels’ offense feed off of their rebounding. More possessions lead to more scoring chances. North Carolina averages 83.4 points per game, which is fourth in the ACC.
North Carolina is 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS in this last three matchups with the Fighting Irish.
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-3)
Losing Bonzie Colson for eight weeks is huge for the Fighting Irish. Colson, who is out with a foot fracture, is the team’s leading scorer (21.4 points per game) and the conference’s second-best behind Duke’s Marvin Bagley III. Without Colson, Notre Dame fell to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Wednesday, 60-53. Apart from Colson, the Fighting Irish also did not have the services of Matt Farrell in that game. Farrell, the team’s second leading scorer (15.9) was out with an ankle injury. His unavailability for this Saturday’s game at home is still uncertain, and if he can’t give it a go, it will be tough for Notre Dame to stage an upset win against North Carolina. In any case, TJ Gibbs and Rex Pflueger have to step up. Gibbs is third on the team with 14.8 points per game, while Pflueger is fourth with 9.5. Notre Dame is 27th in Division I basketball in scoring defense with just 64.7 points allowed per game.
Writer’s Prediction:
North Carolina beats Notre Dame, 84-70.
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