The North Carolina Tar Heels, the number one seed, will begin their NCAA Tournament campaign against the Wagner Seahawks, a 16th seed, on Thursday in Charlotte.
Despite losing to NC State in the ACC championship game, the Tar Heels secured a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. With R.J. Davis leading the team and averaging 21.4 points per game this season, North Carolina looks poised for a strong performance in March Madness.
On Tuesday, Wagner achieved a historic victory by securing their program’s first NCAA Tournament win. The Seahawks defeated Howard 71-68 in the First Four game, with Melvin Council Jr. playing a crucial role in the victory by leading the team with 21 points.
This season, Council Jr. averaged 14.8 points per game, and now, as the team moves forward in the tournament, they will rely on Council Jr. to continue his impressive performance and help them advance against North Carolina.
No. 16 Wagner Seahawks vs. No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels predictions
ESPN: North Carolina has a 98% chance to win
According to ESPN’s Matchup Predictor, the North Carolina Tar Heels have a 98.9% chance to beat the Wagner Seahawks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Action Network: Pick Wagner
Matt Gannon writes: “Wagner truly has nothing to lose. The narrative around this game will be to fade Wagner after it nearly blew a big lead. Plus, people will want to back North Carolina because the Tar Heels should be extremely focused after losing to NC State in the ACC tournament. We’ll hear plenty about fading Wagner because it only has seven players and it’s tired. While that’s true, do we think Vegas doesn’t know this? Clearly they do, and that’s baked into the number. This is bait to try and grab the 1-seed and flashy name, so ride with the underdogs here.”
Sporting News: North Carolina 85, Wagner 55
Kris Johnson writes: “This one could get ugly. Wagner is relying on a rotation of seven healthy players, and the Seahawks have no one to match up against Bacot down low. Expect UNC to find him early and often. The Tar Heels should win going away in the second half.”
No. 16 Wagner Seahawks vs. No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels betting lines, odds
The North Carolina Tar Heels are favored to defeat the Wagner Seahawks, according to the BetMGM odds.
Odds as of Wednesday:
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No. 16 Wagner Seahawks vs. No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels channel, steaming information
How to watch NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness 2024
All games will be broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. Here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices.
How to watch: Catch March Madness with a Fubo subscription
Printable March Madness bracket
You can find a printable bracket for the men’s tournament here.
A women’s tournament printable bracket is available here.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: North Carolina vs. Wagner: Predictions, picks and odds for March Madness game
