Through a host of games and 68 teams, now there are only two left fighting for the NCAA College Basketball Championship and the glory of cutting down the net and take home the title of National Champions.
Villanova Wildcats vs North Carolina Tar Heels
- Time: Monday, April 04, 2016 9:19 PM ET
- Place: NRG Stadium
- Betting Odds: North Carolina -2.5
- Total: 149.5
Villanova Wildcats Betting
The Wildcats were at their best against the Sooners, though nobody could have predicted they would have beat them by 44 points with a score of 95-51. Villanova was relentless and left the Sooners in the dust behind a balanced attack and a deadly defense.
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The Wildcats are a slow-and-steady team. A strategy that’s paid off and allowed them to be extremely effective from beyond the arc. This holds a distinct advantage over UNC, that hasn’t been good at defending against the three, ranking in the 200’s for the season in opponents’ three-pointers made and attempted per game.
But, though Villanova’s offense has been exceptional, it’s their defense that puts them in a class of their own. The Wildcats have not allowed more than 70 points to their opponents in this tournament. They’ve also been exceptional at forcing turnovers and keeping players, even of the likes of Buddy Heild, to minimal points.
Against the Sooners, they kept Heild to only nine points. Against Miami (FL), KU and OU they forced a combined 45 turnovers, which is incredible given their slow pace.
They might be liable inside the paint though. Daniel Ochefu is very able to pull his own weight, however he’s out manned against UNC. He also may be hurting from an injured ankle that happened in their game against Oklahoma. Against a top rebounding team as UNC, he’ll need to be in top shape to keep up.
North Carolina Tar Heels Betting
The Tar Heels are having a tell tale season, by how their playing. Throughout this tournament, they’ve won all their games by at least 14 points and haven’t met with much resistance.
Behind Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks’ abilities, they’ve dominated opponents in the paint and left them jumping to grab nothing but air. Against Syracuse, they put up a combined 31 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. That’s apart from having outscored them 50-32 in the paint, plus a 12+ rebounding advantage as a team.
Ochefu and Kris Jenkins don’t match up against the Tar Heels’ big men. Johnson has been averaging 20 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Meeks and Isaiah Hicks can manhandle Ochefu in the front court, grabbing over 50 percent of offensive rebounding opportunities.
Perhaps, the Tar Heels’ sole weakness is in shooting. Against the Orange, could not put up a three-pointer in the first 30 minutes of the game. Although Marcus Paige ended up scoring 3 of his 7 attempts from downtown, it may not be enough to balance out things against Nova’s ability to hit from beyond the arc.
Prediction: University of North Carolina goes home the champion.