The Miami Hurricanes (6-22) travel to face off against the North Carolina Tar Heels (18-11) on Saturday, March 1st. This game will be played at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill and televised on ESPN. North Carolina is coming off a win in their previous game, while Miami is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Duke. Tip-off is set for 12:00 ET.

Miami Hurricanes vs North Carolina Tar Heels

The Hurricanes Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Miami Hurricanes Recent Game/Games

The Hurricanes dropped to 6-22 after a 97-60 home loss to Duke on Tuesday. Miami, who entered the game as +24.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread.

Miami trailed 47-32 at halftime and struggled in the second half, scoring just 28 points while allowing 50. The game’s total points of 157 went over the pre-game line of 152.5.

The Tar Heels Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

North Carolina Tar Heels Recent Game/Games

North Carolina improved to 18-11 on the season with a 96-85 road win over Florida State on Monday. The Tar Heels entered the game as -3.5 favorites and covered the spread, while the combined 181 points went over the 155.5-point total.

UNC led 49-43 at halftime and added 47 points in the 2nd half, allowing 42 points to the Seminoles after the break.

Hurricanes Offense Breakdown

Miami’s offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 39.1% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc, hitting only 5 of 25 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 43.8%, but they were perfect from the free-throw line, going 5 for 5.

Kon Knueppel stood out, hitting 4 of 5 threes and finishing with 20 points and 5 rebounds in 25 minutes. Lynn Kidd added 17 points, while Cooper Flagg contributed 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Tar Heels Offense Breakdown

North Carolina put up 96 points in their last game, shooting 55.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 63.8%. They connected on 68.8% of their two-point attempts and hit 38.5% from beyond the arc, going 10-for-26 from three-point range.

Jamir Watkins led the way with 26 points, hitting 3-of-6 from deep, while RJ Davis added 20 points and 5 assists, shooting 60% from three. Jerry Deng was also a key contributor, knocking down 4-of-6 threes and finishing with 16 points on 75% shooting overall.

Hurricanes Team Defense

Even with Miami’s defense giving up 97 points, they held their opponent to just 39% shooting from the field. The Hurricanes allowed 20 two-point field goals on 39 attempts, a 51% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, Miami’s defense limited their opponent to 5 made threes on 25 attempts, a 20% success rate. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line just 5 times, where they made all their attempts.

Tar Heels Team Defense

Despite giving up 97 points, Miami’s defense held their opponent to 39% shooting from the field, including just 5 made threes on 25 attempts (20%).

From the free-throw line, Miami sent their opponent to the stripe only 5 times, where they converted all their attempts. The Hurricanes also allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

Hurricanes vs Tar Heels Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Miami has an ATS record of 3-0 while averaging 69 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
• Across the Tar Heels last five home games, the team averaged 76 points per game while allowing 82. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-4, while going 2-3 straight-up.
• Through their last five games as the betting underdog, the Hurricanes have a strong record vs the spread going 3-2. Their straight up mark in these contests is 0-5.
• The Tar Heels have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 5-0 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.

Hurricanes vs Tar Heels Prediction

When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Tar Heels vs. Tar Heels game, our recommendation is to take the Tar Heels at -17.5. Despite our model showing the Tar Heels winning 76-70, we like Hurricanes as our point-spread pick.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 161.5 and our model has the Hurricanes and Tar Heels finishing with a combined 146 points. Our pick is to take the under.

---

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

---

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.