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The No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels will face the Miami Hurricanes in an Atlantic Coast Conference game on Monday at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
North Carolina (21-6, 13-3 in the ACC) aims to widen its one-game lead against the closest pursuer, Duke, in the conference standings, while Miami (15-13, 6-11) wants to arrest its six-game losing streak and salvage some pride by securing its third straight winning season.
In their previous meeting on February 10, the Tar Heels defeated the Hurricanes 75-72 despite a late-game surge. Cormac Ryan's free throws gave the Tar Heels a four-point lead.
The Hurricanes still had a chance to tie the game after Poplar was fouled with two seconds remaining. He made the first foul shot but was called for a lane violation on the second to hand the victory to North Carolina.
The Tar Heels are 32nd in the nation in points scored with 81.8 points per game, while Miami's 77.0 average is joint 94th in the nation.
North Carolina is 19th in the rebounding category at 41.1 rebounds per game, while Miami is far behind with an average of 36.6 boards per game.
The Tar Heels, coached by Hubert Davis, are also strong on defense, allowing only 70.4 points per game. On the other hand, the Hurricanes' defense has given up 73.2 points per game.
RJ Davis is North Carolina's top scorer, averaging 21.0 points and 3.5 assists per outing. Armando Bacot continues to make his presence felt on both ends of the floor, averaging a double-double of 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds.
Norchad Omier has carried Miami on his shoulders offensively, averaging 17.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Matthew Cleveland is not far behind, with averages of 13.8 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Miami vs North Carolina: Betting odds
ActionNetwork.com pegs North Carolina as 13.5-point favorites with a money line of -1200 while betting for Miami pay at +740. The game's over/under is 154.5.
Miami vs North Carolina: Head-to-Head
North Carolina leads the all-time series, 27-10, including 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Tar Heels won their last match, 75-72.
Miami vs North Carolina: Where to watch
The Miami-North Carolina clash will be aired on ESPN. It will also stream on fuboTV. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PST.
Miami vs North Carolina: Key injuries
Miami's Nijel Pack is questionable going into the game against North Carolina due to a lower-body injury.
The Tar Heels, on the other hand, are healthy for Monday's game.
Miami vs North Carolina: Best picks and prediction
North Carolina is 11-1 at home while Miami is 2-7 when it is the visiting team. The Tar Heels are on a two-game winning streak while the Hurricanes are free-falling as they have lost six straight.
Pick: North Carolina (-13.5, -1200)
