La Salle Explorers vs North Carolina Tar Heels NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/14/24

Looking to win big? The Explorers and Tar Heels face off at 4:00 ET on CW. The Tar Heels are hosting the game at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC. This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 164 points, and North Carolina is favored by -21.5 vs. La Salle.

LA SALLE EXPLORERS VS NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS BETTING PICK

The Pick: La Salle Explorers +21.5

This game will be played at Dean E. Smith Center at 4:00 ET on Saturday, December 14th.

WHY BET THE LA SALLE EXPLORERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Tar Heels.
• Even though we have North Carolina winning straight-up, we like La Salle at +21.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 164 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.

Does La Salle Stand a Chance on the Road?

La Salle Explorers Recent Game/Games

La Salle fell to 6-4 on the season after an 82-68 road loss to Saint Joseph’s on Saturday. The Explorers entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

La Salle trailed 33-29 at halftime and allowed 49 points in the second half while scoring 39. The total points for the game were 150, just under the 152.5-point O/U line.

La Salle’s offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 36.7% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc, finishing with 68 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 41.7%, but they did hit 85.7% of their free throws, going 18-for-21.

Erik Reynolds II led the Explorers with 24 points, while Xzayvier Brown added 21 points on 63.6% shooting, including 3-for-5 from deep. La Salle managed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 9 assists in the game.

La Salle’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 82 points on 53% shooting from the field. The Explorers allowed 26 two-point field goals on 41 attempts, a 63% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, La Salle’s opponents shot 31%, hitting 6 of 19 three-point attempts. The Explorers also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 16 times, where they made 12, a 75% success rate.

Will the Tar Heels Win at Home?

North Carolina improved to 5-4 on the season with a 68-65 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Tar Heels were heavy favorites at -18.5 but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 133 fell well short of the O/U line of 162.5.

UNC led 31-30 at halftime and outscored Georgia Tech 37-35 in the second half to secure the win. While they got the victory, the Tar Heels will need to address their inability to pull away from a team they were expected to handle more easily.

North Carolina struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 39% from the field and 20.8% from beyond the arc, hitting only 5 of 24 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.1%, but they did manage to connect on 81% of their free throws, going 17 for 21 from the line.

Lance Terry led the Tar Heels with 22 points, despite shooting just 26.3% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range. Seth Trimble and Baye Ndongo each added 19 points, with Trimble shooting 83.3% overall and hitting his only three-point attempt. Ndongo also contributed 12 rebounds in the game.

North Carolina put together a strong defensive performance, holding their opponent to just 65 points on 39% shooting from the field. The Tar Heels were particularly effective at defending the three-point line, where they limited their opponent to just 5 made threes on 24 attempts, a 20% shooting rate.

Inside the arc, North Carolina’s defense allowed 18 made two-point shots on 35 attempts, a 51% conversion rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 21 times, where they made 17 free throws (81%). The Tar Heels gave up 13 offensive rebounds in the game.