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Betting on Miami vs North Carolina NCAAB Spread

Written by on February 19, 2016

The battle atop the ACC is a fierce one right now, as just a game and a half separates first from seventh. The Miami Hurricanes and North Carolina Tar Heels are tied for first, and we will get the ultimate tie-breaker this Saturday afternoon when the two ranked teams go head to head. North Carolina are perhaps the more desperate of the two team given that they have already lost a game this week, and they know that another defeat here could see them drop down quite a bit from their current #5 ranking. The Hurricanes will be seeing this as their chance to move up as we head into the final 2 weeks of the season. This is arguably the best game on the schedule on Saturday afternoon, and is one that almost begs to be wagered on. The Tar Heels will likely have the college hoops total betting edge on home court, but this is a game that really could go either way.

How To Bet the Miami Hurricanes Vs North Carolina Tar Heels NCAAB Odds, TV and Game Info

When: Saturday, February 20, 1 PM ET Where: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill TV: CBS Radio: 97.9 FM Live Stream: CBSSports NCAA Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Miami Hurricanes

The Miami Hurricanes (21-4, 10-3) are riding a wave of momentum at the moment, as they have reeled off 5 straight wins that have helped move them up to #11 in the national rankings. While they haven’t taken down a ranked opponent during that stretch, they did manage to knock off the Duke Blue Devils the last time they played a team in the top 25. Miami know that a trip to North Carolina is never an easy proposition, but they also know that the Tar Heels are a bit of a wounded animal right now. This is the Hurricanes opportunity to crack the top 10, and you can bet they are going to do all they can to take it. A win here would set them up nicely for what is a brutal home stretch of games. The Hurricanes are averaging 77.0 PPG, and are giving up 65.4 PPG.

Why bet on the North Carolina Tar Heels

The Tar Heels (21-5, 10-3) need to find a way to pick themselves up off the hard court after their 74-73 loss to Duke earlier this week. That game must have felt like a dagger to the heart, and it’s going to be interesting to see how North Carolina rebound from that. The last time they went down to a ranked opponent, which happened versus Louisville at the start of the month, they followed it up with another loss. Those back to back defeats ended up costing them the #1 spot, and you have to feel that another pair of losses this week might see them drop out of the top 10. The loss to Duke was the first home defeat of the year for UNC, so is it really possible they can lose two in a row in Chapel Hill? The Tar Heels are averaging 83.4 PPG, and are giving up 70.4 PPG.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

As much as I try to imagine it, I just cannot see the Tar Heels losing back to back games on home court. This is a team with a legitimate title shot, and I believe they will show the heart of a champion on Saturday. Miami Hurricanes 72 North Carolina Tar Heels 77