Wagner Seahawks (17-15) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (27-7)
March 21, 2024 2:45 pm EDT
The Line: North Carolina Tar Heels -24.5; Over/Under: +133.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Wagner Seahawks and North Carolina Tar Heels meet Thursday in the college basketball NCAA Tournament First Round at the Spectrum Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Wagner vs North Carolina prediction.
Wagner Seahawks Betting Preview
The Wagner Seahawks just beat Howard on Tuesday to earn its first NCAA Tournament in school history. The Wagner Seahawks are averaging 63.9 points on 38.9 percent shooting and allowing 63 points on 42.5 percent shooting. Melvin Council Jr. is averaging 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds, while Tahron Allen is averaging 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds. Julian Brown is dishing 1.7 assists and Zaire Williams is grabbing 2.1 rebounds. The Wagner Seahawks are shooting 32.6 percent from beyond the arc and 72 percent from the free throw line. The Wagner Seahawks are allowing 30.1 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 32.4 rebounds per game.
More College Basketball Picks: Morehead State vs Illinois Prediction!
North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Preview
The North Carolina Tar Heels recently beat Florida State and Pitt while losing to NC State. The North Carolina Tar Heels are averaging 81.6 points on 45 percent shooting and allowing 70.1 points on 40.4 percent shooting. RJ Davis is averaging 21.4 points and 3.8 rebounds, while Armando Bacot is averaging 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds. Harrison Ingram is the third double-digit scorer and Cormac Ryan is grabbing 2.8 rebounds. The North Carolina Tar Heels are shooting 35.8 percent from beyond the arc and 75.2 percent from the free throw line. The North Carolina Tar Heels are allowing 31.3 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 38.1 rebounds per game.
Wagner vs North Carolina prediction
The Wagner Seahawks should be able to put up a fight, given that they’re one of the best defensive teams in the country. Wagner is 10th in points allowed, 16th in three point defense and 100th in field goal percentage defense. The problem is Wagner isn’t a threat offensively and nearly allowed Howard to come back down double-digit points in less than five minutes. The North Carolina Tar Heels are stacked at both ends of the floor, and their talent level is something Wagner hasn’t seen all season. Massive line, and of course the NCAA Tournament has wild results. I still think this should be a comfortable win for UNC. I’ll lay the points with the Tar Heels in this opening round game.
