North Carolina Tar Heels vs Louisville Cardinals Predictions, Picks, Odds and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview – February 17, 2018

The No. 14 Carolina Tar Heels and the Louisville Cardinals will engage in a high-profile match between two ACC teams likely to be in the Big Dance come March. Both teams are also on winning streaks, so one of them will see an end to their unbeaten run this Saturday in Louisville. Register to bet and wager with your pick.

Betting Preview for the North Carolina Tar Heels vs Louisville Cardinals College Basketball Game on February 17, 2018

Where: KFC Yum! Center

When: Saturday, February 17, 8:15PM EST

Line: North Carolina Tar Heels () vs Louisville Cardinals () –view all NCAA Basketball lines

TV Broadcast: ESPN

Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (20-7)

After going through a three-game slump, the Tar Heels are seemingly back on track, as they are now enjoying a four-game win streak. Last Monday, the Tar Heels whipped the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at home, 83-66, flashing a solid form at both ends of the court. The Tar Heels are 17th in the nation in scoring with 83.3 points per game, and up against a Fighting Irish squad that’s missing it’s top scorer, it was just expected for North Carolina to roll past ND.

Nevertheless, that’s a nice momentum builder for the Tar Heels going into Louisville. They are 5-5 SU and 4-5-1 ATS in their last 10 games away from Chapel Hill. Louisville has a stout defense, but even the best defensive teams in the nation will have trouble against North Carolina once its scorers get it going. North Carolina is shooting 46.7 percent from the floor and gets plenty of shot attempts (65.4 per game) also because it is tops in the nation in rebounding with 43.3 boards per contest.

Betting on the Louisville Cardinals (18-8)

The Cardinals are not as powerful as they were in previous seasons, but as mentioned earlier, they still own a solid defense. Granted that North Carolina can steamroll any opponent because of its offense, the Tar Heels will still have to prove that against Louisville that allows only 69.0 points per game – that’s good for 81st in the nation or seventh in the ACC. Moreover, Cardinals opponents struggle to find the bottom of the net against Louisville, which limits them to only 39.7 percent shooting from the field.

That’s largely because of Louisville’s terrific rim protection with Anas Mahmoud and Ray Spalding averaging 3.1 and 1.8 blocks per game. As a team, Louisville is third in the nation with 6.4 blocks per outing.

During Monday’s 94-60 road win against the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Louisville allows the Panthers to shoot only 34.5 percent.

Louisville is 6-4 ATS in its last 10 meetings with North Carolina.

Writer’s Prediction:

North Carolina wins 79-70.

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