Friday, March 17, 2017

Bon Secours Wellness Arena

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

The 16 seed Texas Southern Tigers travel to Bon Secours Wellness Arena to play the 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday, March 17, 2017 in the NCAA Tournament. The opening line for this game has North Carolina as 25 point favorites.

The Tigers come into this game with an overall record of 20-11. They are 2-6 against the spread and their over/under record is 4-1. The Tar Heels have an overall record of 26-6. They have an over/under record of 11-19 and they are 16-15 against the spread.

Zach Lofton comes into this contest averaging 17 points per game while playing 32.6 minutes per night so far this season for the Tigers. He pulls down 3.8 rebounds per game and dishes out 2.4 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 43% while his free throw percentage is currently at 79%. Demontrae Jefferson averages 14.3 points per game in 32 minutes per contest this season. He averages 3.2 assists per contest and 2.1 rebounds per game for Texas Southern. His field goal percentage is 38% for the year while his free throw percentage is 72%.

Justin Jackson averages 18.1 points per game while playing 31.6 minutes per contest this year for the Tar Heels. He grabs 4.6 rebounds per game and has 2.7 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 44% and his free throw percentage currently is at 74%. Joel Berry averages 14.8 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 30 minutes per contest. He also averages 3.3 rebounds per contest and 3.7 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 46% and his free throw percentage is 83%.

Texas Southern averages 74.4 points per contest this season which ranks them 151st in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 2.6 and their shooting percentage is 43% as a team which has them ranked 247th. Behind the arc they shoot 30% which is good for 341st in the country. They average 35.3 rebounds per game and 11.8 assists per game which ranks them 203rd and 286th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 295th with 11.7 per game. The Tigers allow 71.8 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 170th in the nation. They also allow a 44% shooting percentage and a 32% average from behind the arc ranking them 204th and 58th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 36.9 rebounds a game which ranks 261st and they give up 12.8 assists per contest which puts them in 138th place in the country. They force 13.6 turnovers per game which ranks them 222nd in Division 1.

North Carolina averages 84.9 points per game this year which ranks them 12th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 14.3 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a team which has them sitting in the 47th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 37% which is good for 104th in the nation. They average 43.5 rebounds per game and 18.2 assists per contest which ranks them 1st and 2nd respectively. In the turnover department the Tar Heels rank 281st with 11.9 per game. The Tar Heels allow 70.6 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 131st in the country. They also allow a 42% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the arc ranking them 64th and 148th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 30.8 rebounds a game which ranks 13th and they give up 11.6 assists per contest which puts them in 57th place in the nation. The Tar Heels force 13.6 turnovers per game which ranks them 224th in college basketball.

The Tigers are 129th in the nation in offensive rating at 106.2. They assist on 47.4% of their shots, which ranks 290th in the country. In terms of pace they average 69.5 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 194th among D-1 teams. They are 286th in effective field goal percentage with 48%. As a team they are 225th in the country in true shooting percentage with 53% and they shoot 3 pointers on 34% of their shots. Texas Southern turns the ball over an average of 14.5 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 10.2% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 48.9% places them 257th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 32.3%.

The Tar Heels are 8th in the nation in offensive rating at 117.1. They assist on 58.7% of their shots, which ranks 47th in the country. In terms of pace they average 72.2 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 59th among D-1 teams. They are 97th in effective field goal percentage with 53%. As a team they are 102nd 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 13.6 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 9.6% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 58.5% places them 1st in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 42.2%.

Texas Southern Tigers Betting Trends

The Texas Southern Tigers are 2-6 against the spread

The Texas Southern Tigers are 4-1 against the over/under

North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Trends

The North Carolina Tar Heels are 16-15 against the spread

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

Texas Southern Tigers Injuries

01/22/17 F Derrick Griffin Personal has left team

North Carolina Tar Heels Injuries

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

Josh's Pick: Take North Carolina -25

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