The ACC Tournament ends this Saturday in Brooklyn, as North Carolina and Virginia collide in a colossal meeting between two national title contenders. Will the Tar Heels take home the conference crown? Or will the Cavaliers and their defense come out on top? Read on for a preview of this game below and register here to wager with your pick.
Betting Preview for the North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Virginia Cavaliers ACC Finals College Basketball Game on March 10, 2018
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn
When: Saturday, March 10, 9:30 PM ET
Line: North Carolina Tar Heels (n/a) vs. Virginia Cavaliers (n/a) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (25-9)
The Tar Heels are head to the ACC Finals after beating their bitter rivals, the Duke Blue Devils in their semifinals showdown Friday. Going up against Virginia’s defense is not a death sentence, but it must feel like one for any team scheduled to play the Cavs, but the Tar Heels still present a tough challenge for Tony Bennett’s crew. For one, North Carolina owns one of the best offenses in the nation, thanks to a lineup littered with top-flight talents. The Tar Heels averaged 82.8 points per game back in the regular season on 46.3 percent shooting from the field – second and sixth in the ACC, respectively. They fell to Virginia at home on Jan. 6, 61-49, as they shot a poor 29.6 percent from the floor, but the Cavs’ defense might not be as good this time around, as fatigue could set in for them playing in their third game in as many days. The Tar Heels also outrebounded the Cavaliers then, 42-30. Duke is No. 1 in the nation in rebounding (42.9 rebounds per game).
Betting on the Virginia Cavaliers (30-2)
The Cavaliers are not going to change their ways in the postseason. They held off the Clemson Tigers who kept things interesting in the final 5-minutes of the ACC Semis and now they’re ready for Duke. They’re going to need that back line defense of theirs clicking again this Saturday against the high-scoring Blue Devils. Virginia is tops in Division I basketball when it comes to defense. The Cavs made their opponents bleed for 52.9 points per game on 37.5 percent shooting from the field back in the regular season. Expect Virginia to slow the game’s pace against Duke to the point of unwatchability, as the Cavs need to limit the Blue Devils’ field goal attempts. To that end, Virginia has to play sticky defense all game long, the same way they did in the first meeting with Duke when it limited the Blue Devils to only 56 field goal attempts all the while forcing them to commit a total of 16 turnovers.
Writer’s Prediction
Virginia wins, 66-64.
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