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It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Dayton-North Carolina prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Dayton-North Carolina.
Dayton versus North Carolina, for any college basketball historian, contains some obvious callbacks to one of the most important eras in the sport’s larger story. Dayton and North Carolina met in the 1967 Final Four national semifinals, with Dayton winning and becoming the final opponent for Lew Alcindor’s first national championship team at UCLA under head coach John Wooden. The 1967 Final Four was Dayton’s finest hour as a basketball program. The Flyers have never been back to the Final Four in the 57 years since that achievement. Dayton reached the Elite Eight in 1984 and 2014 but was not able to get over the hump.
The 1967 Final Four was significant at North Carolina because it was Dean Smith’s first Final Four at UNC. Smith endured a rocky start to his coaching tenure in Chapel Hill, but the administration stuck by him through tough times. The 1967 season was the breakthrough which solidified Smith as a top coach in the ACC and college basketball. UNC returned to the Final Four in 1968 and became an entrenched power under Smith, who reached 11 Final Fours and won two national championships in an iconic career.
Dayton and North Carolina, two programs which soared in the late 1960s, now try to take flight in a new season as they meet in Hawaii.
The North Carolina Tar Heels played the Kansas Jayhawks earlier this season. Now they will take on more prominent opponents at the Maui Invitational, a centerpiece Feast Week tournament. The Dayton game on Monday follows a Friday night win over the University of Hawaii. UNC played a true road game versus the Warriors and prevailed by 18 points. That was a warm-up for this game versus Dayton. Coach Hubert Davis knows his Carolina defense has to get better; it wasn’t good enough versus Kansas. UNC needs to spend this week in Hawaii making real progress at that end of the floor in particular.
Dayton is unbeaten early in the season. The Flyers have a solid nonconference win over Northwestern on their resume. Beating Carolina would make their portfolio even better.
Here are the Dayton-North Carolina College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuelÂ
College Basketball Odds: Dayton-North Carolina Odds
Dayton: +6.5 (-105)
Moneyline: +230
North Carolina: -6.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -285
Over: 155.5 (-110)
Under: 155.5 (-110)
How to Watch Dayton vs North Carolina
Time: 11:30Â p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
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Why Dayton Will Cover The Spread/Win
The North Carolina defense just isn’t ready to perform at an elite level. It might come around in January or February, but right now, the UNC defense simply does not inspire confidence. Dayton is getting more than six points on the spread and just has to keep this game relatively close to cover. Dayton’s win over Northwestern showed that the Flyers are capable of handling a complicated matchup and solving problems as they go along.
Why North Carolina Will Cover The Spread/Win
Carolina covered the spread against Hawaii on Friday. The Tar Heels, who gave Kansas a real fight despite a less-than-great defensive performance, have a lot of offensive firepower and will be tough for Dayton to contain throughout the full 40 minutes in this contest.
Final Dayton-North Carolina Prediction & Pick
The lean is to North Carolina, but we think you should sit back and maybe wait for a live in-game play here.
Final Dayton-North Carolina Prediction & Pick: North Carolina -6.5
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