Saint Peter’s Peacocks vs North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Preview/Prop Pick

There have been plenty of surprises in the NCAA Tournament, but the East Region has seen the most drama. It will be the 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s Peacocks taking on the 8th-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the Elite Eight with a trip to New Orleans on the line.

Saint Peter’s is the first 15 seed to ever reach the Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament history, and this run doesn’t look like a fluke. The Peacocks stunned Purdue in the Sweet 16 by controlling the second half en route to a 67-64 win.

North Carolina has been pulling off upsets as well, but this is also a team that has a win over Duke during the regular season. The Tar Heels have beaten Baylor and UCLA in back-to-back games, and they are playing their best basketball of the year. 

The North Carolina Tar Heels are eight-point betting favorites in this matchup over the Saint Peter’s Peacocks.

Peacocks Putting Pressure on Teams

Saint Peter’s has been doing nearly everything right during this run, and they just put so much pressure on opponents on both ends of the floor. The Peacocks run terrific sets on the offensive end, and they get up and guard opponents for the entire length of the floor. 

This team is averaging over 7 steals per game, and that full-court pressure could give a team like North Carolina some trouble. Saint Peter’s will have to find ways to get rebounds, but that hasn’t been an issue up to this point.

Daryl Banks III poured in 14 points in the win over Purdue, and he has led the team on offense this season. Guard Doug Edert gives the Peacocks a terrific shooter off of the bench, and he will be a key in this one. 

Tar Heels Lighting it Up

All of a sudden, the North Carolina Tar Heels are one of the best shooting teams in the country. North Carolina is scoring nearly 80 points per game, and they will look to speed up the tempo in this game. 

Guard Caleb Love poured in 30 points in the win over UCLA, and Brady Manek has been a star as well. Brady Manek is a matchup problem for every team, and the Tar Heels will look to shoot their way to a win.

Defense hasn’t always been a focus for North Carolina this season, but that will have to change on Sunday. The Tar Heels will need to use their size to shut down this confident Saint Peter’s team. 

Clock Strikes Midnight For Peacocks

This Cinderella run has to end at some point, and it could all come crashing down for Saint Peter’s in the Elite Eight. The Peacocks have managed to pull off some stunning upsets along the way, but this is going to be their toughest test so far.

North Carolina is one of the most talented teams in the country, and they have a massive size advantage at every position. The Tar Heels have been shooting the ball extremely well, and they are going to put on a show in this one as well.

Saint Peter’s will have an entire country rooting for them to get it done again, but they are just going to run out of magic. Bet the North Carolina Tar Heels -8.0 as this might be a 20 point loss for Saint Peter’s.

Prop Pick

St. Peter’s (-115) UNDER 64.5 Points

St. Peter’s is averaging 66.9 points per game on offense, which ranks No. 286 in the nation, while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, which ranks No. 246. Scores have gone UNDER in 33 of the Peacocks’ last 49 games overall.

With Dunkel predicting a North Carolina victory by the score of 76-55, take the Peacocks (-115) to finish UNDER their Vegas team total of 64.5 points against the Tar Heels.

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