Camila Sosa
Historically, North Carolina should be the heavy favorite in this matchup. However, the Tar Heels’ season has been so inconsistent that Marquette is likely to spring an upset and advance to the round of 32. North Carolina has the name and the talent to try to go deep in March, but precisely that inability to respond in big games could give the Golden Eagles some breathing space despite not having finished the season very well.
Picks and Predictions for the Marquette Golden Eagles vs North Carolina Tar Heels NCAA Basketball Championship Round 1 Game on March 17 2022
- Where: Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Texas
- When: Thursday, March 17th, 4:30 PM ET
- Betting Line: Marquette Golden Eagles (+3) vs North Carolina Tar Heels (-3)
Marquette Golden Eagles Betting Preview (Seeding #9)
- Overall Record: 19-12
- Conference Record: 11-8
- Spread: +3
- Over/Under: Under 152
- Moneyline: +135
Coach Shaka Smart’s experience must come to the fore in this commitment if Marquette wants to continue in competition. Smart has put this team to cause damage with his fast game, while his long-range shot should be vital against one of the Tar Heels’ defensive flaws. Likewise, Justin Lewis and Darryl Morsell should appear for the Golden Eagles for they are the two pillars of this attack.
Marquette’s problem stems from their inconsistency. Despite having one of the top 50 defenses in the nation, during the season they weren’t able to dispatch teams that were much inferior on paper and on record, so they suffered greatly throughout the regular round. .
North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Preview (Seeding #8)
- Overall Record: 24-9
- Conference Record: 15-5
- Spread: 3
- Over/Under: Under 152
- Moneyline: -155
In order to avoid losses as embarrassing as the ones they experienced this year against Pittsburgh or Kentucky, North Carolina needs to reawaken their usual identity of being a great rebounding team, the one that led them to rank second in limiting offensive rebounds, while they were among the best at capitalizing on their offensive rebounds after missed shots on offense.
The problem with the Tah Heels is that their defense is not good enough to slow down opponents. North Carolina ranks in the bottom half of Division 1 teams in 3-point defense and they don’t cause many turnovers, all of which are flaws Marquette exploits very well.
JefeBet Prediction
It will be a very closed commitment that the one who makes the least mistakes will win since that is something recurring in these teams throughout the year, so a prediction is extremely complicated. However, this time I’m going with the Marquette stitches. I don’t see North Carolina running past the Golden Eagles, and if their stature wins out in the end, the score will be tight.
