We have Monday night action in ACC country as the Miami Hurricanes hit the road to battle the No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESPN. UNC edged Miami 75-72 in their previous matchup on February 10.
Miami (15-13, 6-11 ACC) has imploded with six straight losses heading into tonight’s matchup and is coming off an 80-76 setback against Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Canes stalled offensively in the second half and that allowed the Yellow Jackets to pull ahead and hold them off for the victory. Kyshawn George and Bensley Joseph both had 16 points in the loss. Junior guard Nijel Pack missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury and has already been ruled out of tonight’s contest.
North Carolina (21-6, 13-3 ACC) maintained its spot on top of the league standings on Saturday, gutting out an ugly 54-44 road matchup at Virginia. The Tar Heels shot just 32% from the field but matched the Cavaliers’ slow, grinding pace with good defense of their own by holding them to just 27.6% shooting. Armando Bacot had 10 points and 13 rebounds in the win.
The last matchup between these teams was close before a 19-6 run by UNC gave it the necessary cushion needed to survive. Miami has struggled mightily on offense in ACC play and Pack’s absence has exacerbated those issues. The Canes have some of the highest blocks and steal rates on offense in the league and that will be an issue when going up against a Carolina team that boasts the conference’s most efficient defense.
What this game means for Miami
Miami’s falloff over these past few weeks has been sharp and painful and it will not get any respite when facing the league’s top team in Chapel Hill this evening. Now in the basement of the league standings, the only thing the Canes have to play for is the possibility of getting a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament. For that to happen, they’ll have to handle business in their final three games of the regular season and hope things break their way so they can land the No. 9 seed.
What this game means for North Carolina
North Carolina is cruising right along and was able to get some slight breathing room at the top of the standings with Duke losing on Saturday. A win here would give the Tar Heels their first three-game win streak in a month and they’d like to keep the momentum rolling as the regular season winds down.
Miami vs. North Carolina odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: North Carolina -14
Total: 155.5
Moneyline: UNC -1350, Miami +800