North Carolina vs UCONN, Best Bets: December 5th, 2023

The Jimmy V Classic is going down in Madison Square Garden as we have two electrifying games on the schedule tonight.

First off, we have #11 Florida Atlantic taking on #20 Illinois, and after that showdown, we get to watch the big dogs, as #9 North Carolina plays #5 UCONN.

We are in for quite the treat for both of these games, but tonight I’ll focus on the latter of the two, diving deep into the Tar Heels against the Huskies.

Let’s get right into it!

UNC vs UCONN Game Information

Back in the city 🌃 pic.twitter.com/5hjbn64FGP

— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) December 5, 2023

Matchup Information

• Venue & Location: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
• Date: Tuesday, December 5th, 2023
• Kick Off: 9:00pm Eastern
• Broadcast: ESPN

Betting Odds

Odds Courtesy of Bovada.

Spread

• UNC +6 (-115)
• UCONN -6 (-105)

Moneyline

• UNC +210
• UCONN -250

Total

• Over 152.5 (-110)
• Under 152.5 (-110)

The Breakdown: UNC vs UCONN

We get a battle of two great big men tonight, as UNC’s Armando Bacot will go up against UCONN’s 7 footer, Donovan Clingan.

After coming off a loss to Kansas, this Huskies team should be highly motivated. Clingan was held to just 8 points and 7 boards in that loss, a man that usually averages closer to 14 PPG.

The Huskies have beaten #15 Texas, and lost to #5 Kansas, but now face a tough Tar Heels team in a neutral floor.

The Tar Heels have faced their own share of tough opponents. After losing to Villanova, North Carolina bounced back with dominant wins against #20 Arkansas and #10 Tennessee.

They should be ready to go in this Super Tuesday showdown at Madison Square Garden.

Free NCAA Basketball Picks

Both these teams put the ball in the bucket, scoring 85 PPG and ranking in the Top 20 in scoring. however, UCONN does so much more efficiently than the Tar Heels.

For starters, UNC ranks 94th in pace, while UCONN ranks 266th, but they both score the same amount of points. Why is this?

It’s because UCONN shoots much better overall. The Huskies rank 20th in FG%, knocking down over 50% of their shots. UNC ranks 126th, only making 45% of theirs.

Both teams hit about 8 threes per game, with UCONN having a slight edge there, and both teams knock down free throws at a high rate.

I see UCONN having the edge with overall shooting percentage, as well as on the offensive rebounds and in the turnover battle.

The Huskies are 46th in offensive rebound, grabbing 11.4 per game. They also force 7 steals, ranking 157th, and turn the ball over less than 10 times, ranking 38th in the country.

UNC grabs 10 of their own offensive boards, but they only force 5 steals per game, ranking 293rd. The Tar Heels also turn the ball over more, and against this UCONN defense, I like the Huskies to force some steals and turn them into easy buckets.

Give me UCONN outright and to cover the spread tonight.

The Pick: UCONN -5.5 (-110) BetOnline

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