North Carolina vs. Syracuse odds, 2016 Final Four: Tar Heels big favorite vs. Orange

The North Carolina Tar Heels are 9-0 straight up over their last nine games with a 7-1 against the spread record over their last eight. The Tar Heels will try to continue their tournament dominance this Saturday in the Final Four against the Syracuse Orange.

North Carolina is a 9.5-point betting favorite on Saturday according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The only spread that the Tar Heels haven’t covered in their last eight games was in the Round of 64 when tasked with covering a 22.5-point spread against Florida Gulf Coast.

For the fourth straight time in NCAA Tournament play, the North Carolina Tar Heels coasted to a double-digit victory with their 88-74 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Elite Eight.

Six of the Tar Heels’ last seven games have been won by 14 points or more, and that stretch includes Pittsburgh, Providence, Indiana and two wins over Notre Dame. North Carolina has averaged 89.3 points per game in March Madness play with at least 83 points in every game.

The Tar Heels have won each of their last three games against Syracuse. North Carolina is 1-1-1 ATS over that stretch per the OddsShark College Basketball Database.

With their 68-62 upset win over No. 1 Virginia in the Elite Eight, the Syracuse Orange became the first No. 10 seed to advance to the Final Four since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. Down 35-21 at the half to one of the best defensive teams in the nation, the Orange appeared to be on their way out of the NCAA Tournament.

But instead, Syracuse once again overcame adversity and roared back with 47 second-half points to improve to 4-0 SU and ATS in tournament play. Syracuse is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games as an underdog with four outright upsets.

Saturday’s total is set at 145 points. The OVER is 3-1 on North Carolina’s last four games and 2-1 in the team’s last three games against Syracuse.

To this point in the tournament, no team has been able to keep it close against North Carolina; but no team has been able to put Syracuse away, either. Something has to give in this Final Four showdown.