Final Four: (1) North Carolina vs (10) Syracuse ($250 Prize!)
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Jan 9, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Marcus Paige (5) takes a jump shot as Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim looks on during the first half of a game at the Carrier Dome. North Carolina won 84-73. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
On Saturday, April, 2nd at 8:49 P.M. the (1) North Carolina Tar Heels will take on the (10) Syracuse Orange in the “Final Four” of the 2016 NCAA Basketball Tournament. “The Crowd” projects a final score of North Carolina 82.1 – Syracuse 72.8 with an over/under of 154.9. The Vegas line has a final score of North Carolina 77.8 – Syracuse 68.8 with an over under of 146.5. The Orange are (23-13) on the season whereas the Tar Heels are (32-6).
Scoring Margin: North Carolina +12 Syracuse +5.4
Points per game: North Carolina 82.4 Syracuse 70.4
Points allowed per game: North Carolina 69.4 Syracuse 64.7
Field Goal Percentage Offense: North Carolina 47.8% Syracuse 42.7%
Three Point Percentage: Syracuse 36.1% North Carolina 31.4%
Free Throw Percentage: North Carolina 74.2% Syracuse 69.1%
Field Goal Percentage Defense: Syracuse 40.8% North Carolina 41%
Turnovers committed per game: North Carolina 10.9 Syracuse 12.1
Turnovers forced per game: Syracuse 13.4 North Carolina 13.1
Rebounds per game: North Carolina 43.6 Syracuse 39.4
Assists per game: North Carolina 17.8 Syracuse 13.8
North Carolina has the advantage in nearly every one of the major statistical categories. North Carolina has signature wins over eight ranked opponents: Maryland, UCLA, Duke, Miami, Virginia, Providence, Indiana, and Notre Dame. Syracuse has signature wins against six ranked teams: Connecticut, Texas A&M, Duke, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, and Virginia. North Carolina won both games against Syracuse in the regular season (84-73 and 75-70).
Syracuse has defied all odds so far but can they knock off another number one seed? North Carolina is one of the highest scoring teams in the country but struggle to shoot the ball. This could be a problem against Syracuse’s zone defense but I still think UNC has the size and smarts to get inside and score easy buckets. I like the Tar Heels to advance and play for the National Championship.
Note: To be eligible to enter a Crowd’s Line contest you must be over 18 years of age, a resident of the United States/Canada, and submit your score prediction on our prediction tool (blog widget). The winner will be selected according to The Crowd’s Line scoring methodology. If more than one entrant has the same winning score the winner will be selected by random drawing. Only one prize will be awarded per contest and that winner will receive their prize in 5-7 business days.
