The North Carolina Tar Heels and coach Hubert Davis did much to redeem themselves in 2023-24. Following its absence from the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010, the Tar Heels are back. North Carolina has an elite offense and its defense showed dramatic improvement over last year’s pathetic unit. North Carolina’s College Basketball lines improvement was felt at the cashier’s cage as well. Consider UNC offered more consistent value compared to last year. North Carolina is coming off a loss to NC State in the ACC championship game. But the Tar Heels were the ACC regular season champion.
2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament First Round – Charlotte Regional
| Date and Time: | March 21, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Location: | Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC |
| TV Coverage: | CBS, TNT, TBS, Tru TV |
| 2024 National Championship SBG Odds: Check Back Later | Click Here |
Charlotte Regional – First Round Schedule
Texas vs Virginia-Colorado State winner, 6:50 p.m. ET, TNT
North Carolina vs Howard-Wagner winner, 2:45 p.m. ET, CBS
Mississippi State vs Michigan State, 12:15 p.m. ET, CBS
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | -1 -110 | 130½ -110 | -120 | |
| Mississippi St | +1 -110 | 130½ -110 | EV | |
| ||||
Tennessee vs Saint Peters, 9:20 p.m. ET, TNT
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Peter’s | +21½ -110 | 129½ -110 | +1500 | |
| Tennessee | -21½ -110 | 129½ -110 | -5000 | |
| ||||
North Carolina Top Seed
Overall, the North Carolina Tar Heels are 25-6 straight up, 17-13-1 against the spread, and 14-17 over/under the sports betting total. North Carolina has national metrics of 24th for scoring offense, 161st for field goal percentage, 81st for 3-point field goal percentage, 58th for free throw percentage, and 5th for offensive rebounding. While defensively, North Carolina is 118th for scoring defense, 19th for field goal percentage permitted, 44th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 109th for defensive rebounding.
Late on, North Carolina has covered three of its previous five games. North Carolina has gone over the total in three of its last four March Madness lines outings. First among North Carolina scorers is G RJ Davis, with 21.4 points per game. Second on the Tar Heel sheet is F Armando Bacot, with 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
Tennessee Second Seed
Head coach Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers are Big Dance bound for the seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament. Indeed, Tennessee is coming off one of its best NCAA Tournament odds seasons in the Barnes era. The Vols were in a dogfight with the Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats, and Florida Gators for the SEC regular season championship. In sum, Tennessee prevailed but was upset 73-56 by Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament.
Tennessee showed good balance with an improved offense that was complimented by its traditionally strong defense. However, the Vols were an inconsistent betting value for much of the year.
Overall, the Tennessee Volunteers are 24-7 straight up, 16-14-1 against the spread, and 16-14 over/under the total. Tennessee has national metrics of 43rd for scoring offense, 167th for field goal percentage, 153rd for 3-point field goal percentage, 70th for free throw percentage, and 25th for offensive rebounding. While defensively, Tennessee is 65th for scoring defense, 3rd for field goal percentage permitted, 51st for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 241st for defensive rebounding.
Late on, Tennessee has covered six of its previous nine games. Tennessee has gone under the total in seven of its last eight outings. First among Tennessee scorers is G Dalton Knecht, with 21.1 points per game. F Jonas Aidoo averages 11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. Tennessee is under intense pressure for a deep March Madness run.