The No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels will be taking on the No. 16 Wagner Seahawks in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. North Carolina is the fourth overall No. 1 seed and has top billing in the West Region, while Wagner held on in the First Four against Howard to secure a spot in the dance. Here’s a look at both teams ahead of the matchup and our best bet for the game, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 1 UNC vs. No. 16 Wagner best bet
The Tar Heels are a veteran team looking for redemption after failing to make the tournament last year. Seniors RJ Davis and Armando Bacot are back, along with a host of versatile athletes who play great defense. There will be challenges on the road to what UNC believes is a championship, but this shouldn’t be one of them.
Wagner held off a late run from Howard to secure a spot in the main bracket thanks to a pair of free throws from Julian Brown. Melvin Council Jr. had 21 points in that game but he struggles in terms of efficiency. He’ll need to be better if the Seahawks want any chance of upsetting UNC. It’ll be interesting to see how Wagner’s guard-heavy rotation deals with Bacot, who averages a double-double.
Betting lines
Thursday odds
Spread: UNC -25
Total: 133.5
Moneyline: UNC -5000, Wagner +1800
Opening odds
Spread: UNC -23.5
Total: 133.5
Moneyline: UNC -5000, Wagner +1800
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Best bet: UNC -23.5
North Carolina was just 19-15 ATS on the season and 17-14 as the favorite, but this should be a blowout. UNC has only covered this line once in the last three instances they were a No. 1 seed, but two of those contests were against 16 seeds potentially punching above their weight with Florida Gulf Coast and an Iona team coached by Rick Pitino. That’s not where Wagner is, and I think the Tar Heels have no trouble asserting their will in this contest.