Two of college basketball’s bluebloods face off for a trip to the East Region Elite Eight on Friday night as No. 8 North Carolina takes on No. 4 UCLA from Philadelphia in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 round. The Bruins are short favorites on the NCAAB odds.

North Carolina and UCLA last played in 2019. Carolina is 10-3 against the Bruins, including wins in each of the last five games and nine of 10. UNC has the highest winning percentage (.769) against UCLA of any team that has played the Bruins 10 or more times. UCLA’s last win over UNC was in 2000 in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels are 1-1 against UCLA in the NCAA Tournament.

Before all else, Nitrobetting takes a peek at important game details that help you lock in on the best picks. Below, you can find event information, team and player stats, and the latest College Basketball odds. We also have timely betting trends and predictions at your disposal.

North Carolina vs UCLA 2022 March Madness Sweet 16 Game Information

That's a wrap on Day 1⃣ in Philadelphia.#GoBruins | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/DG9Cgeefan

— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) March 24, 2022

• When: Friday, March 25, 2022, 9:39 PM ET
• Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• TV: CBS
• Radio: 97.9 The Hill WCHL (North Carolina) / AM 570 LA Sports (UCLA)
• Live Stream: March Madness Live
• NCAAB Betting Odds: North Carolina (+2.5) / UCLA (-2.5)

READ MORE: Saint Peter’s vs. Purdue NCAAB Odds and Preview – March 25th, 2022

Why Bet on the North Carolina Tar Heels?

The Heels (26-9) advanced with a 93-86 OT win over No. 1 Baylor in the Round of 32 despite blowing a 25-point lead after Brady Manek was ejected for a wild elbow and starting guard Caleb Love fouled out.

RJ Davis scored a career-high 30 points for UNC, while Manek had a season-high 26 points before getting ejected midway through the second half, right after his 3-pointer had given the Tar Heels their largest lead. All-ACC power forward Armando Bacot had 15 points and 16 rebounds for North Carolina. After missing three of four free throws in the final 38 seconds of regulation, he made three of five in overtime. It was his 27th double-double, extending his UNC single-season record and the second-most in a season in ACC history (Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan had 29 as a senior in 1996-97).

Davis scored 17 in the first half, 10 in the second and three in overtime on a three-point play with 1:18 to play that gave UNC a 91-85 lead. He became the 13th Tar Heel to score 30 points in an NCAA game, joining George Glamack, Tyler Hansbrough, Mitch Kupchak, Bobby Lewis, Robert McAdoo, Mike O’Koren, J.R. Reid, Lennie Rosenbluth (twice), Charlie Scott (twice), Shammond Williams, Al Wood and Tyler Zeller.

The win over Baylor was Carolina’s ninth all-time over a No. 1 seed, tying Duke for the most in NCAA Tournament history. It was the third time Carolina beat a No. 1 seed as the eighth seed (also Oklahoma in 1990 and Stanford in 2000). The win over Baylor was the first time UNC eliminated the defending champion in the NCAA Tournament.

Carolina is playing in the regional semifinals for the 37th time. The Tar Heels are 27-9 in regional semifinals (including 1941 and 1946 when the regional semifinals were the round of eight). The Tar Heels are 9-4 as an eight seed, including 4-1 in the first round, 3-1 in the second round and 1-1 in the Sweet 16. Carolina is 14-6 in five different arenas in Philadelphia, including 2-0 in the Wells Fargo Center.

Why Bet on the UCLA Bruins?

UCLA lost its second-best player, Jaime Jaquez, to injury in Round 2 but still easily handled Saint Mary’s 72-56. Tyger Campbell scored 16 points and was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Jaquez Jr. scored 15 points, Johnny Juzang totaled 14 points and Jules Bernard finished with 10 points.

The Bruins made 4 of 9 attempts from 3-point range in the win over Saint Mary’s (44.4%). That marked the fewest 3-pointers attempted in an NCAA Tournament game by UCLA since going 5-for-9 from long-range on March 19, 2015. The Bruins have attempted nine or fewer 3-point shots in 11 total NCAA Tournament games (the NCAA instituted the 3-point arc beginning with the 1986-87 season).

The Bruins (27-7) have advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the fifth time in the past nine seasons and for the second consecutive year. UCLA has advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 22nd time since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1975. Most recently, the Bruins moved into the Sweet 16 (also known as the regional semifinals) in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2021.

Jaquez is expected to play through his ankle injury on Friday. He’s averaging 21 points and 7 rebounds over the past seven games. During that stretch when he has carried the UCLA offense for long stretches of games, he has averaged 34.5 minutes. Jaquez has been battling bad ankles all season, but he only missed one game (a win against Oregon State).

Over the past two seasons (2020-21 and 2021-22), UCLA has gone 39-4 when limiting the opposition to 70 or fewer points (19-3 last season, 20-1 this year). Coach Mick Cronin has led the Bruins to a 57-5 record when limiting the opposition to 70 or fewer points. Cronin has guided the Bruins to a 25-4 record when UCLA has forced at least 15 turnovers by the opposition (includes a 10-2 mark in that category this season).

North Carolina vs UCLA Betting Trends

• Tar Heels are 7-1-1 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning straight-up record.
• Tar Heels are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
• Tar Heels are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight-up win
• Bruins are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite.
• Bruins are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 neutral site games.
• Bruins are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

North Carolina vs UCLA Expert Betting Predictions

UCLA 76, North Carolina 75

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