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A berth in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament will go to either the No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (29-7) or the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (23-11) when the teams square off in the Sweet 16. This contest tips off at 9:39 PM ET on Thursday.
Thursday’s matchup between the Tar Heels and the Crimson Tide features the Tar Heels as 5-point favorites. The over/under is 174.5 points for the matchup.
North Carolina vs. Alabama Odds
Point Spread for North Carolina vs. Alabama
The spread for this matchup is set at 5 points, with oddsmakers listing North Carolina as the favorite.
North Carolina vs. Alabama Moneyline
As for the moneyline, North Carolina has -205 odds to pick up the win, while Alabama is listed at +170 to claim victory.
North Carolina vs. Alabama Over/Under
Finally, the over/under for the game is set at 174.5 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Thursday, March 28, 2024
- Game Time: 9:39 PM ET
- TV Channel: CBS
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Arena: Crypto.com Arena
North Carolina vs. Alabama Betting Trends
North Carolina has 21 wins against the spread in 36 games this year. The Tar Heels have been victorious in 25, or 80.6%, of the 31 contests they have been chosen as moneyline favorites in this season. North Carolina’s games this year have hit the over 18 times in 33 opportunities (54.5%).
Alabama has 19 wins against the spread in 33 games this year. The Crimson Tide have won one of the eight games they were listed as the moneyline underdog this season (12.5%). Alabama’s games this year have gone over the total in 24 of 33 opportunities (72.7%).
North Carolina vs. Alabama Key Players to Watch
North Carolina
RJ Davis leads his team in points per game (21.3), and also posts 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Defensively, he puts up 1.2 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Armando Bacot averages a team-best 10.2 rebounds per game. In addition, he’s averaging 14.4 points and 1.6 assists, shooting 54.7% from the floor. Harrison Ingram posts 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest, shooting 43.1% from the floor and 38.7% from downtown with 1.8 made 3-pointers per game. Cormac Ryan puts up 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Defensively, he posts 0.7 steals and 0.4 blocked shots.
Alabama
Mark Sears is the Crimson Tide’s top scorer (21.5 points per game), and he averages 4.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds. His scoring average ranks him 10th in the nation. Aaron Estrada leads the Crimson Tide in rebounding (5.4 per game) and assists (4.6), and produces 13.2 points. He also averages 1.7 steals and 0.1 blocked shots. Grant Nelson paces the Crimson Tide in rebounding (5.4 per game), and produces 11.4 points and 1.6 assists. He also posts 0.6 steals and 1.6 blocked shots. Rylan Griffen is averaging 11.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest, making 44.9% of his shots from the field and 37.6% from beyond the arc, with 1.9 treys per game.
What you need to know about the North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels sport a top-25 offense this season, ranking 20th-best in college basketball with 81.8 points per game. At the other end, they rank 112th with 70.0 points allowed per contest. When it comes to rebounding, it’s been a dominant stretch for North Carolina, who is pulling down boards per game (best in college basketball) and allowing rebounds per contest (best).
North Carolina is 120th in the nation with 8.0 three-pointers per game this year. Meanwhile, it ranks 78th with a 35.8% shooting percentage from downtown. The Tar Heels are ceding 7.0 threes per game (168th-ranked in college basketball) this year, while allowing a 31.7% three-point percentage (54th-ranked).
The Tar Heels have a 6-4 record against the spread while finishing 9-1 overall in their past 10 contests. Five of North Carolina’s past 10 outings have gone over the total. On the offensive side of the ball, North Carolina has struggled over its last 10 games, scoring 79.1 points per contest over that span compared to the 81.8 it has put up over the course of this season. North Carolina’s points-allowed average over its last 10 games (66.2) is 3.8 fewer points per game than the team is allowing over the entire season (70.0).
What you need to know about the Alabama Crimson Tide
In 2023-24, the Crimson Tide are best in college basketball on offense (90.7 points scored per game) but fourth-worst on defense (80.9 points allowed). Alabama is the best squad in the country in rebounds per game () and best in rebounds conceded ().
Alabama is the third-best squad in college basketball in 3-pointers made (11.0 per game) and 29th in 3-point percentage (36.7%). In 2023-24, the Crimson Tide are 208th in college basketball in 3-pointers conceded (7.3 per game) and 38th in defensive 3-point percentage (31.3%).
The Crimson Tide have gone 6-4 in their past 10 games, with a 4-6 record against the spread in that span. Alabama has gone over the total in eight of its past 10 games. In its previous 10 games, Alabama is posting 91.8 points per contest, 1.1 more than its season average (90.7). The Crimson Tide have played worse defensively over their previous 10 games, allowing 90.6 points per contest, 9.7 more points their than season average of 80.9.
North Carolina vs. Alabama Prediction & Pick
Our prediction to win this contest is North Carolina, and we expect that Alabama will cover the spread (North Carolina -5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going under the posted total of 174.5 points.
How to bet North Carolina vs. Alabama
You can bet on North Carolina vs. Alabama at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.
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