College Basketball Picks

Sweet 16: UCLA vs North Carolina 3/25/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

North Carolina Tar Heels (26-9) vs UCLA Bruins (27-7)
March 25, 2022 9:39 pm EDT
The Line: North Carolina Tar Heels +2 / UCLA Bruins -2; Over/Under: 142
(Get latest betting odds)

The UCLA Bruins and North Carolina Tar Heels clash Friday night in the college basketball NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 at the Wells Fargo Center. The North Carolina Tar Heels look to make their 10th Elite Eight since the 2000 season. The UCLA Bruins look to make their sixth Elite Eight since the 1997 season.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are averaging 78.6 points on 45.8 percent shooting and allowing 72.6 points on 43.6 percent shooting. Armando Bacot is averaging 16.4 points and 12.5 rebounds, while Caleb Love is averaging 15.3 points and 3.4 rebounds. Brady Manek is the third double-digit scorer and RJ Davis is grabbing 3.9 rebounds. The North Carolina Tar Heels are shooting 37.4 percent from beyond the arc and 77 percent from the free throw line. The North Carolina Tar Heels are allowing 34.8 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 36.9 rebounds per game.

The UCLA Bruins are averaging 76.7 points on 44.9 percent shooting and allowing 64.3 points on 41.4 percent shooting. Johnny Juzang is averaging 15.7 points and 4.8 rebounds, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. is averaging 14 points and 5.7 rebounds. Jules Bernard is the third double-digit scorer and Tyger Campbell is dishing 4.2 assists. The UCLA Bruins are shooting 35.2 percent from beyond the arc and 72.7 percent from the free throw line. The UCLA Bruins are allowing 31.9 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 34.3 rebounds per game.

The Tar Heels are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 Friday games and 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall. The Bruins are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Friday games and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite. The over is 11-4 in Tar Heels last 15 overall. The over is 6-2 in Bruins last 8 overall. The favorite is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

The UCLA Bruins are going to be favored because they’ve been the more consistent team up to this point, but we’re getting a free bucket with a UNC team that’s playing its best ball of the season. The North Carolina Tar Heels did not only knockoff Baylor in a game they controlled early, but they’ve won 14 of their last 17 games overall and are allowing 39.5 percent shooting in their last five games. UNC has found its footing and looking like a scary and more than respectable eighth seed. I’m not going to step in front of the hot Tar Heels. Give me the bucket.

Randy Chambers's Free Pick: North Carolina Tar Heels +2

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Randy Chambers

Randy has covered sports betting since 2014 and writes about everything from NFL to WNBA. Follow Randy Chambers on Twitter.

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