Thursday’s NCAA Tournament matchup in Los Angeles features the Alabama Crimson Tide and the North Carolina Tar Heels as part of the NCAA Tournament’s round of 16. Alabama, seeded fourth in the West Region, faces top-seeded North Carolina in what promises to be an awesome battle.
Nate Oats leads his Alabama squad into the game with a season record of 23-11. After taking down Charleston and Grand Canyon in earlier rounds, the Crimson Tide, who finished fifth in the SEC regular season standings, seek to continue their tournament run.
Meanwhile, the North Carolina Tar Heels, boasting a 29-7 season record, seek their 30th win. With wins over Wagner and Michigan State in the tournament, they enter the game playing well, despite a loss to North Carolina State in the ACC title game.
The last meeting between these teams occurred in November 2022, resulting in a narrow 103-101 victory for Alabama. However, North Carolina enters this game as favorites with a -4.5 point spread and a total set at 173.5.
Tar Heels Consistent
Securing the final #1 seed in the tournament, North Carolina has played consistently throughout the season. Despite early losses to Villanova, UConn, and Kentucky, they have maintained a high level of play, averaging 87.5 points per game while holding opponents to 65.5 points per game defensively.
Leading North Carolina’s offensive charge is RJ Davis, averaging 21.3 points per game, closely followed by Armando Bacot at 14.4 points per game. Their impressive offense is aided by strong rebounding, with an average of 38.1 rebounds per game.
The Tar Heels last loss was in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament to North Carolina State. The Wolf Pack are also still alive in the NCAA Tournament.
Underdog Crimson Tide
On the other hand, Alabama, entering the game as underdogs, faced a tough start to their season with losses against Ohio State, Clemson, Purdue, Creighton, and Arizona. However, they have rallied behind Mark Sears, averaging over 21 points per game, supported by Aaron Estrada at 13.2 points per game.
Alabama is the top scoring team in all of College Basketball. The Crimson Tide are averaging more than 90 points per game. Alabama makes 11 three point shots per game, and they are one of the best free throw shooting teams in the nation. ALabama makes nearly 78% from the line.
When the Crimson Tide lost in the SEC Tournament to Florida, they allowed the Gators to score 102 points. Alabama, in four of their last five losses have allowed 99 or more points in the game.
Tar Heels Hold off Crimson Tide
With both teams emphasizing offensive prowess and a fast-paced style of play, North Carolina’s experience and toughness are expected to be big time factors. While Alabama shows off a strong offensive roster and ranks among the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, North Carolina’s depth and experience give them the edge.
In the end, we bet North Carolina Tar Heels to cover the -4.5 point spread against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Thursday’s matchup, based on their overall play and veteran experience in tournament play. Take the Tar Heels -4.5!
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