Marquette Vs. North Carolina Odds, Picks, and Predictions (3/17/22)
Contents
March Madness has begun, and one of the best matchups we’ll be seeing in round one is between the #9 Marquette Golden Eagles and the #8 North Carolina Tar Heels. Both teams have very close stats from the regular season, so this matchup is an even match between evenly skilled teams. Marquette finished their regular season fifth in the Big East, and North Carolina found themselves second in the ACC. These two teams were shaky on tournament eligibility towards the end of their seasons with close calls but snuck in within their last few performances. This game will come down to clutch shots and the need for an aggressive defense. Tip-off is set for 3:30 PM CST on March 17th and can be watched on TBS.
Marquette Vs. North Carolina Betting Odds
The odds for this matchup could fall either way. These teams are relatively evenly matched and have similar strengths, making this game slightly harder to predict. The Tar Heels are coming into this matchup as the favorite with a -3.5 (-110) spread, leaving the Golden Eagles with +3.5 (-110). The moneyline is placed at -170 for North Carolina and +150 for Marquette. UNC averages 77.5 points per game, which is three points more than Marquette, but the Marquette defense is able to hold their opponents to smaller values. It’s also important to note that Marquette is said to have had a more demanding schedule, so their defense has been prepared for teams that are higher point scorers. Overall, this game does not make me confident in secure bets. I have a feeling that the Golden Eagles will be able to take the game, or at least keep it very close.
My Prediction: Marquette Wins 77-76, Marquette Covers as an Underdog
Marquette Odds
The Marquette Golden Eagles have had an up and down season throughout 2022. They played in a very tight conference that had them face off against top 25 teams on 12 different occasions. They were able to defeat their top 25 competitors half of the time with six wins. They average 74.4 points per game with 45.3% accuracy from the field. Their offense has notable contributions from freshman Justin Lewis and senior Darryl Morsell. Lewis leads the team in points per game with an average of 17.1 and shoots 45.1% from the field. He is one of the most dominant players in the paint with impressive rebounding skills with 7.9 rebounds per game. Morsell works the perimeter scoring an average of 13.5 points per game, shooting 44.7% from the field and 35.5% from beyond the three-point line. This duo will cause much trouble for the Tar Heels, leaving spectators with a phenomenal game to watch.
North Carolina Odds
The North Carolina Tar Heels have had a great season, finishing 24-9 overall and a second-place finish in the ACC. They average 77.5 points per game and shoot 45.3% from the field as a team. They also have a solid perimeter offense, shooting 36.3% in three-point shots. The Har Heel offense is carried by a combination of Armado Bacot, Caleb Love, and Brady Manek. Bacot is completely unmatched under the basket with an average of 16.5 points per game and 12.5 rebounds per game. He also has one of the best shooting accuracies in college basketball, sinking 59.8% of his shots. Most of his shots come from directly under the basket, and he utilizes his rebounding ability to put the ball back up for quick points. He’s helped under the basket with Brady Manek, who averages 14.4 points per game and comes down with almost six rebounds per game. On the perimeter, Caleb Love sinks 36.9% from the field and 37% from beyond the three-point line. Marquette will need to seal the basket and protect the rim if they want to pull off this win because the power duo on North Carolina will run the paint if given the opportunity.
Marquette Vs. North Carolina Picks & Prediction
This game will be one of the closest we see in round one of this year’s March Madness bracket. Due to Marquette’s history of playing very competitive teams, I think they’re slightly more prepared to move throughout the bracket. Either way, both teams will have to play the #1 seed Baylor in the next round, so there is no easy way to advance. In this game, I’m taking the Marquette moneyline and have great faith in the spread, staying very marginally close.
March Madness Bracket
