Louisville Cardinals vs North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Pick & Prediction 1/17/24

Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Cardinals and Tar Heels. The game is starting at 9:00 ET on ACCN, and it’s hosted by the Tar Heels at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under goal line for this matchup is currently at 154.5 points, and the Tar Heels are favored to win at home against the Cardinals.

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS VS NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Louisville Cardinals +21.5

This game will be played at Dean E. Smith Center at 9:00 ET on Wednesday, January 17th.

WHY BET THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-68 in favor of the Tar Heels.
• Even though we have North Carolina winning straight-up, we like Louisville at +21.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 154.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 142 points.

Do the Cardinals Have What it Takes to Win as Road Underdogs?

The Louisville Cardinals have been a much better team at home this season, going 5-7 compared to 1-3 on the road. They have lost three straight games at home and are 1-8 as underdogs this season. So far, they are 6-10 overall and 1-4 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

In their last game, the Cardinals fell to North Carolina State by a score of 89-83. Over their last 10 games away from home, Louisville has gone just 1-9, and their average scoring margin on the road this season is -7.2 points per game.

As the underdog, Louisville has gone 4-4-1 against the spread this season and they have an overall ATS record of 6-8-2. On the road, the Cardinals are 2-2 vs. the spread this year and they are 5-5 ATS over their last 10 road games.

So far this season, the over/under record for Louisville games is 9-7. The average scoring total in their games this year is 150.4 points, which is higher than the average over/under line of 146.1 points. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 158 points. This season, 11 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line of 154.5 points.

In their latest game, Louisville offense put up 83 points against North Carolina State. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 47.5% and made 8 threes. The team’s top scorer is Mike James, who enters today’s matchup with an average of 14.2, while Skyy Clark also carries a PPG average of 14.2 into the game.

Coming into the game, Louisville will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 76.6 points per game (246th). The Louisville defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 89 points and allowed North Carolina State to connect on 8 threes.

Do the Tar Heels Stand a Chance at Home?

North Carolina enters this game as the heavy favorite, as they have been in 14 of their 16 games this season. They have gone 12-2 in those games, and they have won their last five games at home.

On the season, the Tar Heels have a record of 13-3, including a 5-0 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play. They have won six straight games, and their average scoring margin at home is +19.5 points per game.

North Carolina has an ATS record of 10-6 this season, going 6-4 vs. the spread at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Tar Heels are 7-3 ATS.

So far this season, North Carolina’s over/under record stands at 9-7. Today’s over/under line of 154.5 is similar to the average over/under line in their games this season (153.2). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 136 points, which is lower than the season average of 153.2. Currently, their over/under record in their last three games is 1-2.

In their latest game, North Carolina’s offense looked good, scoring 103 points against Syracuse. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 48.1% and made 22/27 free throws. On the offensive front, the Tar Heels have a season-long field goal percentage of 45%, ranking 184th nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 151st in terms of percentage and 169th in three-pointers made.

So far, the Tar Heels’ defense is ranked 107th in the country at 69.5 points per contest. North Carolina’s three-point defense is currently 118th in the country at 6.9 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 39.6% of their shots vs. North Carolina.