ACC Tournament 2nd Round Predictions: North Carolina on the Bubble Against Boston College

There may not be a team with more at stake during this year’s ACC Tournament than North Carolina. The Tar Heels come into their second round matchup with the Boston College Eagles listed as one of Joe Lunardi’s first four teams out of the NCAA Tournament field. That makes a game like this against the 10th seed in the ACC Tournament a must-win for Hubert Davis’ squad, who are in danger of going from playing in last year’s national championship game to missing this year’s tourney entirely.

Boston College vs North Carolina Betting Pick

This game will be played at Greensboro Coliseum at 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

Why Bet on North Carolina:

✅ Boston College did not look convincing at all in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Yes, they pulled away from Louisville late in the game, but they were down at the half and looked incredibly tense throughout. North Carolina should be able to take advantage.

✅ While this version of North Carolina has not played as well as they did a season ago, this team still has one of the highest ceilings in the ACC. They showed last year that single-elimination play does not bother them, so bettors should not be scared of laying a big number here with the Tar Heels’ backs against the wall.

✅ North Carolina should have a huge advantage on the glass in this game. They average 5.5 rebounds per game more than Boston College, who does not have a single player averaging 6.0 rebounds per game or more.

Boston College Eagles: Looking to Play Spoiler In Greensboro

The Boston College Eagles got a win in their ACC Tournament first round game against the Louisville Cardinals, but it was not easy. Now, they are in a position to effectively end the season of North Carolina if they can win in the second round. But doing so will not be easy, especially given the geography of the tournament this year.

For Boston College, it is mandatory that Makai Ashton-Langford does not get into foul trouble like he did on Tuesday. When he went out against Louisville, after picking up three first half fouls, the momentum of the game shifted immediately. If he is not on the floor for the bulk of this Boston College vs North Carolina matchup, BC could get run out of the gym.

North Carolina Tar Heels: Hoping Home Cooking Can Ease Bubble Anxiety

The North Carolina Tar Heels are in unfamiliar territory going into their ACC Tournament opener against Boston College. Normally, this is a tournament where the Tar Heels are simply looking to improve their seeding for March Madness. Instead, they are playing to simply give themselves a chance to get into the tournament, as a loss to Boston College would surely see them eliminated from tournament contention.

North Carolina should be able to take care of business in this game, but they may need to do more than just win the game. Winning by a large margin, or with style points as they would say in college football, would send a message to the selection committee that the Tar Heels are worth considering to move into the projected NCAA Tournament field before a potential quarterfinal game on Thursday.

How Far Does North Carolina Have to Go in the ACC Tournament?

The big question going into North Carolina’s ACC Tournament campaign is how far they need to go in order to reach the NCAA Tournament. It is likely that a win over a middling Boston College team would not do a lot to convince the selection committee that the Tar Heels need to be in the field of 68. But a win in the quarterfinal round could be enough to get the job done.

If North Carolina does win this game, they would end up in a game against the Virginia Cavaliers in Thursday’s quarterfinals. North Carolina split the season series against UVA during the regular season, beating them at home while losing to them in Charlottesville. While it would not be easy for UNC to secure its place in the tournament with a win over the top-15 Cavaliers, they have proven it is doable already this season.