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Auburn vs North Carolina March Madness Lines / Live Stream / TV Channel, Date / Time & Prediction.

Auburn vs North Carolina March Madness Lines / Live Stream / TV Channel, Date / Time & Prediction

Written by on March 27, 2019

March Madness Trends, Rumors & News, NCAA Basketball Betting News

Has any team looked more impressive in this NCAA Tournament than North Carolina? The Midwest Region top seed takes on SEC Tournament champion and No. 5 seed Auburn in the Sweet 16 on Friday, with the Heels as March Madness odds favorites for another Elite Eight trip.

How to Bet Auburn vs North Carolina March Madness Lines & Game Info

Why Bet on Auburn?

In a tighter-than-expected, one-point win over New Mexico State in the first round and Saturday’s victory over Kansas in the second round, Auburn forced a combined 32 turnovers and connected on 25 of 61 3-pointers. The Tigers, the SEC Tournament champions, have won 10 in a row. It’s the program’s fifth appearance in the Sweet 16 and first since 2003. Auburn has made it as far as the Elite Eight only once before, and not since 1986.

They looked like a potential champion in the t89-75 thumping of Kansas. Running and gunning to a 34-8 advantage in fast-break points, Auburn played a nearly flawless first half to take a 51-25 lead. Bryce Brown scored 25 points to lead Auburn (28-9) to Kansas City for the Midwest Regional semifinals.

Brown made four 3-pointers in the first seven minutes to put Auburn ahead 23-9. His fifth 3 gave Auburn a 40-20 lead. Auburn committed only two turnovers in the half while forcing eight, leading to a 12-1 edge in points off turnovers and a remarkable 26-1 lead in fast-break points. Brown led Auburn with 25 points as he made 7-of-11 triples while Jared Harper netted 18 with Chuma Okeke and Anfernee McLemore scoring in double figures with 12 and 11 points. Brown nearly doubled Auburn’s previous NCAA Tournament record of four 3-pointers in a March Madness game. His 372 career 3-pointers rank second in SEC history.

A little more than a month ago, Bruce Pearl stood in front of his players inside the visitor’s locker room at Kentucky’s Rupp Arena and said: “If we think we’re good enough to win a national championship, it starts here today.” Auburn did not look good enough to win a national championship — Kentucky won that game in an 80-53 rout. It was the Tigers’ sixth loss in their last 11 games. They haven’t lost since.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Total Score: 79.78
  • Field Goal Percentage: 45.01
  • Three-Point Percentage: 37.83
  • Free Throw Percentage: 71.35
  • Total Rebounds: 34.11

Defense

  • Total Score: 68.54
  • Field Goal Percentage: 43.54
  • Three-Point Percentage: 35.02
  • Free Throw Percentage: 71.11
  • Total Rebounds: 35.14

Why Bet on North Carolina?

UNC hasn’t been challenged much in easy wins over No. 16 Iona and they crushing No. 9 Washington. In the 81-59 victory over the Huskies, the Tar Heels, a No. 1 seed for a record 17th time, committed 10 turnovers in the first half and led by eight points at the break. They bolted out in the second half, put together a 13-0 run over 5 minutes, played great defense and pulled away.

North Carolina’s biggest takeaway from the first NCAA tournament weekend: The need to defend more effectively early in games. “It showed tonight again,” senior forward Luke Maye said. “We struggled a little bit guarding them in the first half, came out the second half a lot better. We can really score the ball in many different ways. We’ve just got to be better defensively and hopefully, have a shot at winning the whole thing.”

Maye owns the North Carolina record for rebounds (743) in consecutive seasons and scored 20 points while grabbing 14 rebounds for his 15th double-double of the season in the victory against Washington.

Auburn vs North Carolina should be an easy victory for the Tar Heels.

Nassir Little had 20 points, his third 20-point game, and his most points since he had 23 against Virginia Tech on 1/21/19. Little is UNC’s first non-starter to score 20 in an NCAA Tournament game since Marvin Williams scored 20 vs. Iowa State in the 2005 second round. Little and Coby White combined for 37 points (20 by Little, 17 by White). It’s the most points by two UNC freshmen in an NCAA Tournament game since Tyler Hansbrough (24) and Danny Green (15) combined for 39 in the 2006 first round vs. Murray State (in Dayton).

Carolina is 16-0 when Cameron Johnson makes three or more three-pointers (he made three vs. Washington). UNC is 17-1 when Little scores in double figures (he had 20). The Heels have made 305 three-pointers, which ties the single-season record (305 last year).

UNC has won 17 of their last 19 games, with the only two losses during that stretch coming against those other top seeds (Virginia on Feb. 11, Duke on March 15). Carolina has advanced to the regional semifinal/round of 16 for the 36th time.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Total Score: 85.97
  • Field Goal Percentage: 46.46
  • Three-Point Percentage: 36.44
  • Free Throw Percentage: 74.22
  • Total Rebounds: 43.91

Defense

  • Total Score: 72.54
  • Field Goal Percentage: 41.24
  • Three-Point Percentage: 33.02
  • Free Throw Percentage: 68.49
  • Total Rebounds: 33.34

Auburn vs North Carolina March Madness Betting Trends

  • Tigers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 non-conference games
  • Tigers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Atlantic Coast
  • Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record
  • Tar Heels are 20-8-2 ATS in their last 30 vs. Southeastern

Expert Final Prediction for Auburn vs North Carolina

Auburn 78 – UNC 83

2019 March Madness Expert Betting News

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