Providence vs. North Carolina

Many teams will focus more on defense as the tournament rolls along. Providence went UNDER the total the last game, surviving 40.3 percent shooting while edging U.S.C. 70-69 on Rodney Bullock's layup with 1.5 seconds left. NBA talent Kris Dunn (16 ppg, 6.3 assists pg, 2.5 steals pg) battled foul trouble that limited him to just 27 minutes. The Friars are 13-3 ATS and 19-7 UNDER the total at neutral sites. Providence finished seventh in the Big East in scoring, but third in points allowed. They face a North Carolina Tar Heels squad that has held 26 straight opponents to under 45 percent shooting from the field. However, this is a terrible three-point shooting team on offense, dead last in the ACC at .315%, and on a 13-5 run UNDER the total. Providence matches up well, so look for a close one all the way and a strong effort from both defenses in the first half. Play Providence and the first half UNDER.