Iona Gaels vs North Carolina Tar Heels Predictions, Picks, Odds, and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview – March 22 2019

The Iona Gaels are back in the Big Dance once again. They have a chance to shock the world and rip a fiber of the college basketball universe by taking down the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first round. Iona, however, is just 1-13 SU all-time in the national tournament. The Gaels are +200,000 to win the national tournament, while the Tar Heels have a much shorter odds of +600.

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Betting Preview for the Iona Gaels vs. North Carolina Tar Heels College Basketball Game on March 22, 2019

Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus

When: Friday, March 22, 2019, 9:15 PM ET

Line: Iona Gaels (+24.5) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (-24.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines

TV Broadcast:  TNT

Betting on the Iona Gaels (17-5 Conference / 12-6 Conference)

The Gaels are aware of how tall the immediate task in front of them, which is beat No. 1 seed North Carolina. One thing they seem to be clueless about is the feeling of losing. The Gaels haven’t lost since Feb. 8, going 10-0 SU in all of their past 10 games, including an 81-60 win at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Finals over the Monmouth Hawks. Iona is coached by Tim Cluess, who is leading the Gaels to their fourth-straight appearance in the Big Dance. Although they haven’t gone past the first round in the previous three trips to March Madness, the Gaels can’t be taken for granted by North Carolina. Iona can definitely shoot the ball, as it averaged 76.8 points per game in the regular season. The Gaels knock down 8.8 3-pointers per game and are first in the conference with a 53.1 percent shooting from inside the arc.

Iona is 8-2 against the spread (ATS) in its last 10 games, and is 10-6 after a win this season, covering 62.5% of the time.

Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (27-6 Conference / 16-2 Conference)

The Tar Heels are going from a heavyweight slugfest with archrivals Duke Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament Finals into a relative featherweight bout with Iona. North Carolina lost to the Blue Devils, 74-73, but the Tar Heels should be fine against Iona, provided that they don’t let Iona to get away with easy baskets that will give the Gaels the false belief they could actually do a UMBC Retrievers maneuver. Cameron Johnson, Coby White, Luke Maye, and Nassir Little are all counted upon to use their collective advantage in talent and experience against tough competition to silence Iona. The Tar Heels’ offense is likely to force Iona to submission. North Carolina finished the regular season third in the nation with 96.1 points per game. The Tar Heels’ incredible offense should in full view against Iona’s flimsy defense that ranked 267th in Division I basketball with 75.6 points allowed per game.

The Tar Heels are 4-0 ATS in their last four games, and is 17-8-2 ATS after a win this season, covering 68% of the time.

Writer’s Prediction

North Carolina wins, 95-70.

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