Volunteers Host Tar Heels in Sunday NCAA Hoops

Tennessee Volunteers Could Make Statement Win

The 20th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers host the 7th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels on Sunday afternoon. ESPN has the coverage starting at 5 pm EST. The Volunteers program has been improving quickly since Rick Barnes was hired. They are ranked again this year and a win today over College Basketball Blue-Blood North Carolina would give the team a early statement win. Oddsmakers have North Carolina as a 1.5-point road favorite. The total is hovering around 156. A Tennessee win today would increase their national presence for a program that has not been relevant for a long time. This marks the first time since Feb. 27, 2010, that two nationally ranked men’s teams meet on Tennessee’s home court. The Volunteers hadn’t been ranked since December 2010. Today is a chance for North Carolina to build on its recent success. Players continue to blend into bigger roles than they have had in the past. The Tar Heels suit up for the first time in 11 days following a break for exams. The Volunteers often do well in such settings such as these. Since 1999, Tennessee has won five straight home games against teams that are reigning national champions. The Tar Heels are 4-7 under coach Roy Williams in non-conference road games against top 20 teams. Barnes’ teams are 6-11 lifetime against North Carolina. This, obviously, counts his time as coach at Clemson and Texas.

Matchups on Both Teams May be the Key

North Carolina has junior forward Luke Maye. He has emerged as one of the top players in the country this season by averaging 19.9 points per game. Tennessee has 6-foot-7 sophomore forward Grant Williams. He is scoring a team-leading 16.1 points per game. This matchup may determine the outcome. UNC has averaged 93 points per game during its four-game winning streak. North Carolina made a school-record 72.7 percent of its 3-point attempts their a romp past Western Carolina before exam break. They were 16 of 22 from behind the arc. North Carolina leads the series 9-1. The Tar Heels had to pull out a 73-71 home victory last December by overcoming a 15-point deficit. Joel Berry II didn’t play against Tennessee last year because of an ankle injury. North Carolina is the third of four Atlantic Coast Conference teams that the Volunteers will face during a 30-day stretch. They have already defeated North Carolina State and Georgia Tech. They visit Wake Forest next weekend.

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North Carolina Tar Heels

Tennessee Volunteers

Supergrid

Title	Stat	Rank	Stat	Rank
Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense	88.10	17	65.63	60
Away Team Away Scoring vs Home Team Home Defense	78.25	55	59.25	27
Away Team Road Rebounds vs Home Team Home Rebounds Allowed	44.50	3	31.75	78
Home Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense	79.38	77	71.10	142
Home Team Home Scoring vs Away Team Road Defense	84.25	74	69.50	57
Home Team Home Rebounds vs Away Team Road Rebounds Allowed	37.00	161	34.25	88

Head To Head Summary

Head To Head Detail

NCAA Basketball Betting Trends

North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
North Carolina is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games
North Carolina is 8-16 ATS in its last 24 games on the road
North Carolina is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Carolina’s last 6 games on the road

Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Tennessee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee’s last 6 games
Tennessee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

North Carolina Tar Heels

Tennessee Volunteers

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