Henry Roldán
The second day of the Sweet 16 will have four commitments and one of them will be played by two old acquaintances: North Carolina vs UCLA. Between the two universities they have 19 national championships and so far their passage through March Madness 2022 gives a sample of why so many titles. Despite being the eighth seed in the East, the Tar Heels are coming off the big bell of the tournament by dispatching, in overtime, Baylor, the 2021 champions, with a 93-86 slate. For their part, the Bruins bounced back from a bad first round and had no trouble beating Saint Mary’s in the second round at 72-56.
Picks and Predictions for the North Carolina Tar Heels vs UCLA Bruins NCAA Basketball Championship Sweet 16 Game on March 25
- Where: Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- When: Friday, March 25, 9:39 PM ET
- Betting Line: North Carolina Tar Heels (+2.5) vs UCLA Bruins (-2.5)
North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Preview
- Overall Record: 24-9
- Conference Record: 15-5
- Spread: +2.5
- Over/Under: Over 141.5
- Moneyline: +120
The Tar Heels arrived with many doubts to the big dance after several ups and downs in the season. However. in his veins runs the blood of a team that has been eight times champion of the nation and that after defeating Baylor in the second round joins the list of favorites for the 2022 title.
To do this, North Carolina will have to beat a very balanced UCLA team, with few shortcomings on both sides of the court. The Tar Heels will have to make the most of their great quality to take rebounds and avoid giving second chances to their rivals. In their last seven games they have taken at least 40 rebounds five times, while the Bruins, despite being good at these matches, have taken at least 40 on only six occasions during the campaign.
Another fact to highlight is the percentage in field goals. While UCLA is 22-0 when it throws above 43%, when they don’t reach that number their record is 5-7. How much did North Carolina allow in the campaign? Opponents shot 42.8% from the field, but three of the last four teams have fallen short of 36%.
The key man in North Carolina is Brady Manek. Proof of this is that the forward was sent off with 10 minutes left to finish the commitment against Baylor and the team fell apart, losing the 25-point advantage it had until that moment. However, Manek finished the game with 26 points and against Marquette added a double-double (28 points and 11 rebounds).
UCLA Bruins Betting Preview
- Overall Record: 25-7
- Conference Record: 15-5
- Spread: -2.5
- Over/Under: Over 141.5
- Moneyline: -140
The Bruins have been a gale of inconsistencies throughout the season, despite their great balance on the court. So the question is: Which version of UCLA will we see this Friday? The one that was almost eliminated in the first round against Akron or the roller that we saw in the second round when destroying a powerful defense like Saint Mary’s.
As we talked about field goals before, I tell you that if the Bruins come to match what they did against Akron, where they threw just 35%, their hours in March Madness are counted. However, if they approach what they achieved against Saint Mary’s, where they shot for 57%, the situation will surely end in joy. Why? North Carolina, their opponents in turn, have an 0-6 mark when the opponents throw for more than 51%. How many times did UCLA do it this season? On ten occasions they passed 50%.
On the defensive side the Bruins also know how to do things well and the opponents averaged 47% from the field and 31% from the three-point zone. Without being large percentages, they are above average and are more than enough when they can do things right on offense.
The player to follow the offense will be Tyger Campbell, who has been the Bruins’ leading scorer in his first two games by scoring 16 points in each, with four three-pointers on nine attempts and perfect from the free throw line as he went 9-9.
JefeBet Prediction
UCLA is a much more balanced team than North Carolina, but the two had a lot of ups and downs throughout the campaign and the current moment I think is going to influence the outcome a lot. The Tar Heels come from beating the current champion a super difficult game, those that help focus a team that has many arguments to reach, at least, to the end four. The Bruins also have great potential, but I think North Carolina will continue to give something to talk about in this great dance and I’m going with the Tar Heels moneyline.
