Friday, March 24, 2017

FedExForum

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The 4 seed Butler Bulldogs travel to FedExForum to play the 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday, March 24, 2017 in the NCAA Tournament. The opening line for this game has North Carolina as 7 point favorites.

The Bulldogs finished the regular season with an overall record of 23-7. They are 19-12 against the spread and their over/under record is 13-12. The Tar Heels ended the regular season with a record of 26-6. They have an over/under record of 11-19 and they are 17-16 against the spread.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other NCAA basketball games check out our handicapping tips.

Kelan Martin comes into this contest averaging 16 points per game while playing 28.8 minutes per night so far this season for the Bulldogs. He pulls down 5.8 rebounds per game and dishes out 1.2 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 43% while his free throw percentage is currently at 78%. Andrew Chrabascz averages 11.1 points per game in 32.6 minutes per contest this season. He averages 3.1 assists per contest and 4.5 rebounds per game for Butler. His field goal percentage is 45% for the year while his free throw percentage is 75%.

Justin Jackson averages 18.1 points per game while playing 31.5 minutes per contest this year for the Tar Heels. He grabs 4.7 rebounds per game and has 2.8 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 45% and his free throw percentage currently is at 75%. Joel Berry averages 14.4 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 29.9 minutes per contest. He also averages 3.1 rebounds per contest and 3.7 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 44% and his free throw percentage is 81%.

Butler averages 76.2 points per contest this season which ranks them 107th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 8.1 and their shooting percentage is 48% as a team which has them ranked 29th. Behind the arc they shoot 37% which is good for 87th in the country. They average 32.3 rebounds per game and 13.3 assists per game which ranks them 326th and 190th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 343rd with 10.2 per game. The Bulldogs allow 68.2 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 75th in the nation. They also allow a 44% shooting percentage and a 33% average from behind the arc ranking them 193rd and 80th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 31.1 rebounds a game which ranks 20th and they give up 10.4 assists per contest which puts them in 14th place in the country. They force 13.4 turnovers per game which ranks them 197th in Division 1.

North Carolina averages 85.1 points per game this year which ranks them 10th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 14.8 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a team which has them sitting in the 49th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 111th in the nation. They average 43.8 rebounds per game and 18.1 assists per contest which ranks them 1st and 4th respectively. In the turnover department the Tar Heels rank 276th with 12.0 per game. The Tar Heels allow 70.3 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 123rd in the country. They also allow a 42% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the arc ranking them 56th and 134th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 30.7 rebounds a game which ranks 13th and they give up 11.4 assists per contest which puts them in 46th place in the nation. The Tar Heels force 13.8 turnovers per game which ranks them 238th in college basketball.

The Bulldogs are 29th in the nation in offensive rating at 112.7. They assist on 50.1% of their shots, which ranks 233rd in the country. In terms of pace they average 67.1 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 286th among D-1 teams. They are 33rd in effective field goal percentage with 55%. As a team they are 28th in the country in true shooting percentage with 58% and they shoot 3 pointers on 37% of their shots. Butler turns the ball over an average of 13.5 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 9% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 50.9% places them 137th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 27.3%.

The Tar Heels are 7th in the nation in offensive rating at 117. They assist on 58.4% of their shots, which ranks 49th in the country. In terms of pace they average 72.4 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 55th among D-1 teams. They are 104th in effective field goal percentage with 52%. As a team they are 111th in the country in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3 pointers on 30% of their shots. North Carolina turns the ball over an average of 13.5 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 9.7% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 58.8% places them 1st in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 42.2%.

Butler Bulldogs Betting Trends

The Butler Bulldogs are 19-12 against the spread

The Butler Bulldogs are 13-12 against the over/under

North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Trends

The North Carolina Tar Heels are 17-16 against the spread

The North Carolina Tar Heels are 11-19 against the over/under

Butler Bulldogs Injuries

No key injuries to report

North Carolina Tar Heels Injuries

02/15/17 G Kenny Williams Knee out for season

Tony's Pick: Take North Carolina -7

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