Wagner vs. North Carolina Prediction & March Madness Odds: Bacot to Dominate
The Wagner Seahawks are huge underdogs for their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the opening round of March Madness, and we have made our best Wagner vs. North Carolina prediction based on the best March Madness odds.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the sole number one seed not predicted to win their region - a point we delve into in our March Madness bracket prediction and West Region preview. Nevertheless, among all the number-one seeds, they have the most favorable first-round matchup.
The Wagner Seahawks struggle with scoring, evident in their narrow three-point victory over the Howard Bison on Tuesday, despite shooting 52.7% from the field. Facing the Tar Heels on Thursday, it's improbable they'll sustain such a high shooting percentage, potentially leading to a swift escalation of events.
As part of our March Madness predictions, here is our best Wagner vs. North Carolina prediction and college basketball picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Wagner vs. North Carolina odds
Wagner (16) vs. North Carolina (1) prediction: West Region
Armando Bacot Over 24.5 points + rebounds ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: -120 via FanDuel
Even playing the schedule they did, the Seahawks still ended the year ranked 354th in field goal percentage, shooting just 39% for the season. That means Bacot will have plenty of opportunities to clean up the glass in this game. He averages 10.2 rebounds per game, and nothing suggests he won’t top that number on Thursday. After all, the Seahawks were outrebounded 36-28 by the Bison last night.
Unfortunately, the price for Bacot to pull down 10 rebounds is very expensive and there are no alt lines available at this time. Because of that, this combo prop is the best bet of the game.
Bacot averages 14.1 points per game, scoring at least 14 in four of his last five. He will have mismatches inside all game long, and he may be at 10 points before the first half's midway point. The key will be Bacot playing enough minutes to hit this over. But even if he only plays 25, as he did against the Florida State Seminoles last week, that’s plenty of time for him to do damage in this game.
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Wagner vs. North Carolina best odds
FanDuel (-120)
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Over 24.5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | -120 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
At the time of writing, only FanDuel offers props for Tar Heels’ players. When our other best sportsbooks start to release player props, we believe that Bacot’s number will be 24.5 or 25.5 across the board. If the price is -1105 or better at 25.5, then we’d recommend playing that number rather than 24.5 for this slightly expensive price.
Wagner vs. North Carolina spread & Over/Under analysis
The Tar Heels opened as 24.5-point favorites at our best sports betting sites, and based on how the Seahawks played on Tuesday, this spread should grow before tip-off. However, because the number is already so large, it’s unlikely to go any higher than 26.5. As the Seahawks have a hard time scoring, the Tar Heels are playable up to 30.
The total opened at 133.5 at our best sports betting apps and hasn’t moved yet. The Tar Heels average 81.5 points per game, and they should top that total on Thursday. But when this game becomes a blowout, there will be very long possessions that slow the game down. It’s hard to know where this line will move, but if we had to guess, we’d say it will go up before tip-off.
Wagner vs. North Carolina game info
- When: Thursday, March 21st
- Tip-off: 2:45 p.m. ET
- Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
- How to watch: CBS
Wagner vs. North Carolina prediction made Wednesday at 9:57 a.m. ET.
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