The North Carolina Tar Heels are set to face the UCLA Bruins. Check out our March Madness odds series, which includes our North Carolina UCLA prediction, odds, and pick.
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The UCLA Bruins and North Carolina Tar Heels have combined to win 17 NCAA Tournaments, as March Madness analysts know well. UCLA has 11 national championships in men's basketball, while North Carolina has six. These are two unquestioned blue-blood programs. An NCAA Tournament clash between the two teams doesn't just invite a North Carolina UCLA prediction; it invites a recollection of famous meetings between the two schools.
UCLA and North Carolina have met in a national championship game. The year was 1968. UCLA had avenged a regular-season loss to Houston in the Final Four national semifinals. North Carolina was waiting in the title game with Charlie Scott, one of the most important players Dean Smith ever recruited to Chapel Hill — not only because he broke the color barrier at a Southern school, but because he was part of the effort to restore the Carolina program in the late 1960s after Smith struggled in the earlier part of the decade. North Carolina lost to Lew Alcindor and the Bruins in that 1968 final, but the Tar Heels had established themselves as a program. Over 50 years later, they're still a superpower in college basketball.
UCLA and North Carolina have been at the same Final Four other times without actually meeting. They were both in the 1972 and 2008 Final Fours. In 1972, UCLA won its semifinal while Carolina lost. In 2008, both teams lost. The only other meeting between these teams in the Big Dance was in 1989, when UNC beat UCLA in the second round. It's a treat to be able to watch the Tar Heels and Bruins, giving you a chance to make a North Carolina UCLA pick.
Let's deal with this upcoming game on Friday in Philadelphia. The one huge storyline which is dominanting the build-up to the game is the health of UCLA star Jaime Jaquez, who suffered an ankle injury in the Bruins' win over Saint Mary's on Saturday. His status is being viewed as a day-to-day situation. If he can play and be reasonably effective, UCLA's odds go up. If he can't, the Bruins' chances go down. You will simply have to monitor this story and get the best information you can on Friday evening.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the North Carolina-UCLA odds:
March Madness Odds: North Carolina-UCLA Odds
North Carolina: +2.5 (-110)
UCLA: -2.5 (-110)
Over: 141.5 (-110)
Under: 141.5 (-110)
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Why North Carolina Could Cover the Spread
Jaime Jaquez won't be effective for UCLA.
Why UCLA Could Cover the Spread
The Bruins, if they can get just 15 high-impact minutes from Jaquez, would meaningfully improve their odds.
Final North Carolina-UCLA Prediction & Pick
You shouldn't bet on this game if you don't know what Jaquez can do, or if he will play. Assuming Jaquez can't play, there will be late line movement toward North Carolina. The best move is to live-bet this game and catch value on a moving in-game line, once you see how the teams are playing. If forced to make a pick, though, UCLA might be able to muddy this game up and slow down Carolina's offense.
Final North Carolina-UCLA Pick: UCLA -2.5
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