North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Kansas Jayhawks Predictions

North Carolina Tar Heels (29-9 SU, 21-16-1 ATS) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (33-6, 20-19 ATS)
When: Saturday, April 2, 9:20 p.m.
Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
TV: TBS
Point Spread: UNC +4/KU -4 (BetNow)
Moneyline: UNC +170/KU -200
Total: 152.5

Last Time Out:

North Carolina beat Duke 81-77; Kansas handled Villanova 81-65.

About the Matchup:

The obvious question for Carolina is what do the Tar Heels have left in the tank after edging their most bitter rival on college basketball’s biggest stage? The Tar Heels won, yes, but they played a grueling, difficult game on Saturday and played second, meaning they’ll have less recovery time and face a fresher Kansas team that didn’t have to exert a lot of energy against Villanova. That actually matters as the team that played first on Saturday has gone 7-2 SU in the final. Given that 16 of the last 17 finals have been decided by at least five points, that also suggests the winning team will cover and do so comfortably. On paper, Kansas has the advantage given that the Jayhawks have been getting better every game and have the advantage on defense to match. North Carolina did play very well on defense against Duke in the semifinals, but Kansas is more guard-heavy and shoots the ball better, creating a very tough matchup for the Heels.

Scouting the Tar Heels:

The other big concern for the Tar Heels is whether Armando Bacot can actually do the job for one more game after going down with an injury late in the win over Duke. Bacot has been North Carolina’s ace throughout the season, but if he’s not able to play at full strength, Hubert Davis will need to come up with something else to keep the Heels from getting pounded inside the way Villanova was. The Heels have the right personnel to match up with Kansas down low in the persona of Brady Manek, but it remains to be seen just how effectively the Tar Heels perform with their lineup at potentially less than their ideal starting five. Even if Bacot can’t go or is ineffective, North Carolina has enough talent elsewhere to keep itself in the game. They should stick close as long as the Tar Heels don’t run out of gas at the end.

North Carolina Tar Heels (29-9 SU, 21-16-1 ATS) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (33-6, 20-19 ATS)
When: Saturday, April 2, 9:20 p.m.
Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
TV: TBS
Point Spread: UNC +4/KU -4 (BetNow)
Moneyline: UNC +170/KU -200
Total: 152.5

Last Time Out:

North Carolina beat Duke 81-77; Kansas handled Villanova 81-65.

About the Matchup:

The obvious question for Carolina is what do the Tar Heels have left in the tank after edging their most bitter rival on college basketball’s biggest stage? The Tar Heels won, yes, but they played a grueling, difficult game on Saturday and played second, meaning they’ll have less recovery time and face a fresher Kansas team that didn’t have to exert a lot of energy against Villanova. That actually matters as the team that played first on Saturday has gone 7-2 SU in the final. Given that 16 of the last 17 finals have been decided by at least five points, that also suggests the winning team will cover and do so comfortably. On paper, Kansas has the advantage given that the Jayhawks have been getting better every game and have the advantage on defense to match. North Carolina did play very well on defense against Duke in the semifinals, but Kansas is more guard-heavy and shoots the ball better, creating a very tough matchup for the Heels.

Scouting the Tar Heels:

The other big concern for the Tar Heels is whether Armando Bacot can actually do the job for one more game after going down with an injury late in the win over Duke. Bacot has been North Carolina’s ace throughout the season, but if he’s not able to play at full strength, Hubert Davis will need to come up with something else to keep the Heels from getting pounded inside the way Villanova was. The Heels have the right personnel to match up with Kansas down low in the persona of Brady Manek, but it remains to be seen just how effectively the Tar Heels perform with their lineup at potentially less than their ideal starting five. Even if Bacot can’t go or is ineffective, North Carolina has enough talent elsewhere to keep itself in the game. They should stick close as long as the Tar Heels don’t run out of gas at the end.