North Carolina vs. Connecticut prediction: Jimmy V Classic college basketball odds, pick, best bets

college basketball north carolina tar heels sports betting Sports Picks uconn huskies Bonus Code

The Jimmy V Classic tips off from the legendary Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

After Florida Atlantic battles Illinois in the first game, No. 9 North Carolina squares off against No. 5 Connecticut.

I really like this matchup for the Huskies, who are in a classic bounce-back spot after losing to Kansas and have the schematic advantages necessary to take advantage of an overvalued Tar Heels unit.

Barring injury trouble, I expect the Huskies to roll.

North Carolina vs Connecticut odds

(via BetMGM)

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total
North Carolina	+5.5 (-110)	+200	o150.5 (-110)
UConn	-5.5 (-110)	-250	u150.5 (-110)

North Carolina vs Connecticut prediction

(9 p.m. ET. ESPN)

The Huskies finally dropped their first non-conference matchup in 24 tries — including last year’s NCAA Tournament championship run — last time out against Kansas.

So, its our first opportunity in a long time to target Connecticut in a classic bounce-back spot.

I also quite like the matchup for the Huskies.

Dan Hurleys crew runs plenty of handoffs, cutting, off-screen and post-up sets to generate interior and perimeter buckets. Its a complex motion offense that won a national championship last year.

North Carolina has been excellent at defending against handoff actions. Still, the Heels have been mediocre against cutters (1.17 points per possession allowed, 49th percentile) and post-ups (.92 PPP allowed, 30th percentile) while grading out horrifically against off-screen actions (1.4 PPP allowed, second percentile).

I realize I just threw some random numbers at you, but to put it more simply: The Huskies’ offense will play against the Tar Heels.

On the other end of the floor, I think the Heels struggle to run their own sets against UConn.

North Carolina likes to run the floor with its RJ Davis-Cormac Ryan-Elliot Cadeau three-guard attack while funneling the ball to Armando Bacot in the post.

So far, its been working well, with the Heels scoring at will (86 points per game).

But the Huskies are a rock-solid transition defense, and because of their slow pace (279th nationally in tempo), they allow only six fast-break points per game (91st percentile).

Plus, the Huskies rank among the nations best post defenses (0.68 post-up PPP allowed, 83rd percentile), as the monstrous 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan hounds the paint and protects the rim.

I expect the Huskies to mess with the flow of UNCs up-tempo offense while holding their own against Bacot down low.

North_Carolina_vs_Connecticut_prediction_Jimmy_V_Classic_college_basketball_odds_pick_best_bets Donovan Clingan will look to guide UConn past UNC. Getty ImagesThats what fellow Big East team Villanova did in its two-point overtime win over North Carolina, holding the Heels to only six fast-break points and Bacot to only eight overall.

While I love UConn and have already bet on the Huskies here, there is an unfortunate catch.

Four key UConn players are listed as questionable for tonights matchup: Donovan Clingan (toe), Cam Spencer (toe), Alex Karaban (finger) and Stephon Castle (knee).

Thats brutal and could cost the Huskies this game.

Ultimately, Id still back UConn at the current market number if at least Clingan and Spencer can go. Clingan is instrumental in Connecticuts interior offense and defense the latter being important in defending Bacot and Spencer is crucial for the Huskies perimeter shooting.

Betting on College Basketball?

Check out the best College Basketball betting sites
Read our guide on how to bet on College Basketball
Get the latest NCAA Championship Winner odds

If those two are ruled out, Ill likely buy out of my position on the Huskies.

So, monitor the injury report closely before laying the points with the defending national champs. Let’s hope health isn’t a factor in this monster early-season college basketball matchup.

North Carolina vs. Connecticut pick

UConn -5.5 (BetMGM Sportsbook) IF Clingan and Spencer are playing

How many decks are used in poker?

In most popular poker variants, such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha, a standard deck of 52 playing cards is used. Each deck contains four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) and consists of 13 ranks (Ace, 2 through 10, and the face cards: Jack, Queen, and King).

What is the bonus code for WPT Global Poker 2023?

The best bonus code for WPT Global is WPT777. By entering the bonus code, players will get a welcome bonus 100% up to $1,200 on the first deposit. The minimum deposit is $20.