The fifth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (23-5, 13-2 ACC) and their outstanding offense travel to Clemson to take on the Tigers (17-11, 7-8 ACC) and their exceptional defense. The game starts at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 2, 2019, and will air on ESPN.
North Carolina Tar Heels at Clemson Tigers Betting Odds
Both teams beat their last opponent. The Tigers defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers 62-48, while the Tar Heels beat the Syracuse Orange 93-85.
North Carolina played a nearly perfect game. They had a ridiculous free throw rate of 0.548 (above their season average of 0.230) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 51.4 (above their season average of 35.0). Syracuse recorded marks of 0.217 and 22.2, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, Clemson’s 0.519 effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Pittsburgh, who had a mark of 0.307. The Tigers’ mark was below their season average of 0.520, while the Panthers’ was below their season average of 0.485. Elijah Thomas had a solid performance for Clemson, recording 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. North Carolina received a boost from Coby White, who contributed 34 points.
This was a highly competitive series last year, as the teams split their two games last season. In the last game, the Tigers won 82-78. One of Clemson’s largest strengths was getting to the free throw line. They had 27 free throw attempts, while North Carolina had just 14. This will be the first contest of the year between these two teams.
Baskets could be hard to come by in this battle between a pair of the country’s best defenses. Clemson currently ranks 34th in defensive efficiency (95.7) and North Carolina is 48th (96.7). Conflicting paces will be on display in this matchup. The aggressively-paced Tar Heels rank ninth in possessions per game, while the more methodical Tigers rank 283rd.
North Carolina vs. Clemson Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – North Carolina, ATS Winner – North Carolina, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- North Carolina ranks second in assists per game (19.4) while Clemson ranks 200th (12.3).
- The Tigers average 4.4 blocks per game, which ranks 40th in the nation. The Tar Heels rank 189th in blocks allowed per game (4.7).
- North Carolina ranks 49th in steals per game (7.6) while Clemson ranks 117th (6.4).
- The Tigers rank 79th in three pointers allowed per game (21.0) while the Tar Heels rank 261st (26.1).
- North Carolina ranks first in rebounds per game (43.1) while Clemson ranks 162nd (35.0).
Bettings Trends:
- The Tar Heels’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 14.4, up from 14.2 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Tigers have scored an average of 64.2 points per game (5.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 62.4 points per game (1.4 below their season average).
