North Carolina vs. Stanford Pick
Will No. 9 North Carolina be able to handle their business when they go on the road to face Stanford tonight at 11:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, North Carolina is favored on the road, as the Tar Heels are getting odds of -7 points against Stanford. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 159.5 points. Tonight’s clash takes place from the Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California and the game will air live on ESPN2.
North Carolina is off to a 2-0 start following its national championship run in the 2016-17 season. The Tar Heels are 1-0 against the spread, covering a 15-point spread in an 86-69 win over Northern Iowa. UNC is averaging 89.5 points per game this season while allowing 75 per game. Luke Maye is putting up 23 points and 9.5 rebounds per game to lead the team while Sterling Manley is adding 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest.
Stanford is off to a 3-1 start to the season, suffering a 67-61 loss to Eastern Washington. The Cardinal are just 1-3 against the spread thus far. Stanford is putting up 75.2 points per game this season while allowing 67 per contest. The Cardinal are without Dorian Pickens due to a foot injury. He was averaging 10.5 points per game. Reid Travis is leading the team so far with 21.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while Michael Humphrey is adding 12.8 points and 12.3 rebounds per contest.
Bet on North Carolina vs. Stanford
UNC has won and covered the spread in its last three meetings with Stanford. The Tar Heels have looked good thus far, but going out to the West Coast can be tricky, especially with such a late tip. Still, UNC is 11-3 against the spread in its last 14 against Pac-12 opponents. Stanford has failed to cover in six straight against ACC opponents and 1-5 ATS in its last 6 non-conference games. The public betting is strongly with North Carolina tonight and I tend to agree. The Tar Heels have too many weapons for Stanford to deal with.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: NORTH CAROLINA -7