The North Carolina Tar Heels continue their strong performance on the Final Four odds ahead of Saturday’s showdown with conference rival Syracuse, as they are now perched as 9.5-point favorites for the game at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Pegged as the top seed in the East Region, North Carolina rides a nine-game straight-up winning streak into Saturday night’s Orange vs. Tar Heels betting matchup at NRG Stadium, and it has dominated at the sportsbooks with seven against-the-spread wins in their past eight games.
The Tar Heels have seen the game line move slightly in their favor since opening as 9-point chalk, and have widened the gap on the national championship odds, improving to -105 favorites after sitting at +105.
No. 10 Syracuse remains the dark horse at this year’s Final Four, holding steady as a +900 longshot to claim their first national championship since 2003. But the squad’s commitment to defense at this year’s NCAA Tournament has spurred movement on the point total ahead of its date with the Tar Heels.
The Orange have surrendered just 55.75 points per game during their four-game march to the Final Four, forcing the total UNDER on three occasions, and they have seen the point total in Saturday’s contest slip from 147 to 145.5.
That represents a low number for UNC, which has averaged 89.25 points per game at the tourney, and it has seen the total pegged at or below 146 in just six outings this season, according to the OddsShark College Basketball Database.
The game line has held steady in Saturday’s other Final Four matchup, with the Villanova Wildcats favored by two points over the Oklahoma Sooners.
The Wildcats have posted four lopsided victories at this year’s tournament, claiming victory by an average margin of 19.25 points and halting a 2-6 ATS betting slide.
No. 2 Villanova impressed with a 64-59 upset of the tournament favorite Kansas in the South Region Final, advancing to its first Final Four since 2009. But with the Tar Heels on the rise, the Wildcats have seen their national championship odds slip slightly from +260 to +275.
No. 2 Oklahoma, a 80-68 winner over No. 1 Oregon in the West Region Final, also has dipped on the national championship odds, to an attractive +375. However, the Sooners have covered in just 11 of their past 15 outings, 12 as favorites, with the total finishing UNDER in 13 of those games.
That likely is a factor in the heavy movement on the game’s point total, which has fallen to 145.5 since opening at 149.5.
Thumbnail photo via Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports Images
