The No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (27-6) will be 22-point favorites in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena when they meet the No. 16 Iona Gaels (17-15). The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 166 points and it starts at 9:20 p.m. ET on Friday, March 22, 2019.
Iona Gaels vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Odds
In their last outing, the Tar Heels lost a tough one against the fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils, 74-73, while the Gaels had no trouble getting past the Monmouth Hawks, 81-60.
Iona dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had an extraordinary free throw rate of 0.404 (above their season average of 0.272) and a turnover percentage of 14.9 (better than their season average of 15.6). Monmouth put up marks of 0.086 and 19.2, respectively, for those same stats. North Carolina, meanwhile, had a turnover percentage of 9.1 (better than their season average of 14.8). North Carolina’s Luke Maye led the way, putting up 14 points and 13 rebounds. Tajuan Agee, meanwhile fueled Iona with 18 points and seven rebounds.
Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Gaels games, with 17 overs compared to 15 unders. Iona heads into the contest with records of 17-15 straight up (SU) and 13-18-1 against the spread (ATS).
Vegas tends to set the total high when the Tar Heels are involved, as 18 of their 32 games have ended under the total. Additionally, North Carolina is 27-6 SU and 20-11-1 ATS.
North Carolina could have their way on the offensive side of the ball as their high-octane offense squares off against one of the NCAA’s worst defenses. The Tar Heels rank 25th in offensive efficiency, while Iona ranks 276th in defensive efficiency. Also, the Gaels rank 264th in offensive rebounding percentage (25.8 percent), while the Tar Heels rank 14th in defensive rebounding percentage (76.6 percent).
Iona vs. North Carolina ATS Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – North Carolina, ATS Winner – North Carolina, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- North Carolina ranks second in assists per game (19.0) while Iona ranks 248th in assists allowed per game (15.1).
- The Gaels rank 91st in steals per game (6.8) while the Tar Heels rank 175th in steals allowed per game (6.7).
- North Carolina blocks 3.5 opponent shots per game, which is ranked 107th in the country. Iona ranks 168th in blocks allowed per game (3.7).
- The Tar Heels average 43.7 rebounds per game, which ranks first in the NCAA. The Gaels rank 230th in rebounds allowed per game (36.5).
- Iona ranks 69th in three pointers attempted per game (25.1) while North Carolina ranks 297th in three pointers allowed per game (26.6).
Bettings Trends:
- The Tar Heels’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.2, down from 13.1 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Gaels have scored an average of 80.0 points per game (3.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 69.4 points per game (6.2 below their season average).
