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The North Carolina Tar Heels take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in New York. Check out our college basketball odds series for our North Carolina Ohio State prediction and pick.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are waiting. They don't want to wait, but they are waiting for their March 2022 level of performance to return. They can't afford to wait much longer, but they haven't yet seen the level of play they were able to produce last spring, when they made a late-season charge to the national championship game as a No. 8 seed. Last season's North Carolina team didn't begin to click until late February. When it found the right formula after several months of struggle, UNC came alive and was able to sustain that winning edge for a full month. The Tar Heels looked like an NIT team in early February. In early April, they were leading Kansas by more than 10 points at halftime in the national title game, 20 minutes away from lifting a trophy. They couldn't hold the lead against Kansas, but they finished as the national runner-up and gave Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski the final loss of his career at the Final Four. North Carolina had the best non-national championship-winning season in school history, given the two wins over Coach K in high-visibility, high-stakes moments. That felt almost as good as winning it all.
Now, however, where has that team been? Where is the team which confounded Duke twice and made so many winning plays at both ends of the court? It's the big question on everyone's mind as the Tar Heels face Ohio State in Madison Square Garden as part of a national doubleheader to be followed by UCLA versus Kentucky in New York.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the North Carolina-Ohio State College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: North Carolina-Ohio State Odds
North Carolina Tar Heels: -2.5 (-115)
Ohio State Buckeyes: +2.5 (-104)
Over: 149.5 (-110)
Under: 149.5 (-110)
Why North Carolina Could Cover the Spread
This team is bound to play well at some point. We keep saying it, and one has to figure that with all the talent and experience on this team — with Armando Bacot, Caleb Love, and the rest of last season's core group coming back for a second run at the national title — the pieces are going to come together before too long. Remember: This isn't just a discussion of potential. We have actually seen these players perform well as a unit. We saw it last March. “Will it ever happen?” is not a relevant question, because it has in fact happened.
“Will UNC play well together again?” That's the right question. Can this group play well a second time? We've seen the first one. This team is going to figure it out.
The other point to make here is that Ohio State struggled at home with Rutgers a few weeks ago, and was fortunate to win on a last-second circus shot accompanied by a controversial call. Rutgers just lost a 45-43 slugfest at home to Seton Hall, raising questions about how good the Scarlet Knights really are.
Are we sure Ohio State is an especially good team?
Why Ohio State Could Cover the Spread
The Tar Heels are still working through their problems. They might be on the verge of a breakthrough, but let's be honest: Until we see UNC put the pieces together, the Tar Heels merit a considerable degree of skepticism. Strictly when viewed through a betting lens, you don't want to bet on a team when it keeps failing to deliver the goods. “Oh, the next game will be different” is a line people use to convince themselves that they should stick with a team even though it has offered little to no evidence that it is ready to change. You should bet against North Carolina until the Tar Heels prove they are different. They haven't done so yet this season.
Also, Ohio State played Duke very competitively on the road in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Buckeyes, if they can give Duke a good test in a true road game, can beat North Carolina in a neutral-site game in New York.
Final North Carolina-Ohio State Prediction & Pick
North Carolina's lack of form is a reason to stay away from this game. We just don't know if — or when — UNC will awaken. Just pass on this one and learn from these teams for betting opportunities later in the season.
Final North Carolina-Ohio State Prediction & Pick: Ohio State +2.5
