The top-seeded Baylor Bears continue their quest toward defending their men’s basketball national title Saturday when they face the No. 8-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in a 2022 NCAA Tournament second-round matchup. Tipoff is set for 12:10 p.m. ET from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, in the East Region showdown. Neither club faced much resistance in moving to the Round of 32 as the Bears, who won their first national championship in program history last year, rolled to an 85-49 win over No. 16 Norfolk State on Thursday. The Tar Heels dominated from the outset in their 95-63 blowout over No. 9-seeded Marquette in the first round.
The Bears are 5.5-point favorites and the over-under for total points scored is 149 in the latest Baylor vs. North Carolina from Caesars Sportsbook. Before making any Baylor vs. North Carolina picks in the NCAA Tournament 2022, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $1,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UNC vs. Baylor and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2022. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of the model’s college basketball picks. Here are several college basketball odds and betting lines Baylor vs. UNC:
- Baylor vs. North Carolina point spread: Baylor -5.5
- Baylor vs. North Carolina over-under total: 149 points
- Baylor vs. North Carolina money line: Baylor -250, North Carolina +200
- UNC: The Tar Heels are 6-1-1 against the spread in their last eight games against opponents with winning records
- BAY: The Bears have covered five consecutive NCAA Tournament games as a favorite
Why Baylor can cover
In their opening-round victory, the Bears (27-6) showed the same mix of supreme athleticism and lock-down defense that saw them cutting down the nets at last year’s NCAA Tournament. They built a double-figured lead early in the first half and never looked back, holding the Spartans to 31.6 percent shooting from the field and forcing 15 turnovers.
The Bears were upset by Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament but saw no lingering effects from that stale performance. Baylor used a balanced effort that saw five players score in double figures and eight players log double figures in minutes. The Bears shot 58 percent from the field and had 24 assists on their 31 made field goals. They also held a 38-29 rebounding edge. The defending national champions notched blowout wins over Villanova, Michigan State and Stanford before going 14-4 in the Big 12 to tie Kansas for the conference’s best record.
Why North Carolina can cover
North Carolina’s first-round blowout carried an element of surprise as it was only a 3.5-point favorite over Marquette in what are historically competitive matchups between the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, the late-blooming Tar Heels (25-9) resembled the championship-caliber clubs of past years and built a 14-point lead midway through the first half on their way to a dominant victory. Senior forward Brady Manek got hot early and he led the way with 28 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. Sophomore guard Caleb Love scored 23 points and made six 3-pointers.
Many college basketball observers expected something of a transitional season for the Tar Heels in their first year under coach Herbert Davis, the former standout player who took over the program after longtime coach Roy Williams retired last year. North Carolina had some early-season struggles but flourished down the stretch to win eight of its final 10 regular-season games and secure an NCAA Tournament berth.
How to make Baylor vs. North Carolina picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the point total, projecting 148 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in more than 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the model’s North Carolina vs. Baylor pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Baylor vs. North Carolina? And which side of the spread hits in more than 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
