The North Carolina Tar Heels and the UCLA Bruins will be having a marquee matchup in the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2022 National Tournament. Which team is going to advance to the Elite Eight stage? Check out our preview below of this North Carolina-UCLA 2022 March Madness matchup.
Betting Preview for the North Carolina Tar Heels vs UCLA Bruins NCAA College Basketball Game on March 25 2022
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
When: Friday, March 25, 2022, 8:00 PM ET
Line: North Carolina Tar Heels (odds) vs. UCLA Bruins (odds) – view all 2022 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (odds)
Record: 26-9 Overall/15-5 Conference
North Carolina pulled off a gutsy win in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament by knocking out the Baylor Bears, which means there would be a new national champion this year. The Tar Heels are hoping to be that team and with the way they are playing, their chances remain relatively good. Armando Bacot put up a tremendous performance against Baylor, scoring 15 points and pulling down 16 boards, while RJ Davis exploded for 30 points. Brady Manek, despite being ejected, had 26 points. The Tar Heels are peaking at the right time and defeating a No. 1 seed certainly boosts their morale. North Carolina has now scored over 90 points in each game of the tournament thus far, thanks in large part to exceptional outside shooting. The Tar Heels have drained 24 threes in two games, and it’s the kind of accuracy that will keep UCLA’s defense stretched and on its toes.
North Carolina is 7-3 against the spread in its last 10 games overall.
Betting on the UCLA Bruins (odds)
Record: 27-7 Overall/15-5 Conference
UCLA barged into the Sweet 16 round by taming the Saint Mary’s Gaels in the second round, 72-56. Both teams are great defensively, but the Bruins simply showed whose stop unit is better, limiting the Gaels to just 40.8 percent shooting from the field. And they paired it up with an efficient attack that produced 56.6 percent shooting and 16/19 performance from the foul line. Tyger Campbell led UCLA with 16 points, while three other Bruins starters scored at least 14 points, including Jaime Jaquez Jr., who had 15 markers. Jacquez hurt his ankle in the Saint Mary’s Gaels, but with plenty of time to rest up, he can be expected to show up on Friday versus the Tar Heels. As good as North Carolina’s offense has been, Mick Cronin’s Bruins have what it takes to shut down Bacot and company. After all, the Bruins are 14th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency and have held their last two opponents to lower than 48.0 effective field goal percentage.
UCLA is 6-4 against the spread in its last 10 games overall.
Writer’s Prediction
UCLA wins, 74-71.
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