Miami vs UNC Odds, Pick: Expect High-Scoring Matchup

When discussing the most disappointing teams of the season, the Miami Hurricanes have a case to be at the top of that list.

But the Hurricanes will have a chance to put some of their head-scratching losses in the rearview mirror with a win over North Carolina on Monday.

Here's Miami vs. UNC odds and a pick for Monday.

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The Hurricanes are enduring a tailspin similar to Ohio State’s last season — losing six straight games. This stretch has wiped away any hope for an NCAA Tournament bid, although those chances lost steam over a month ago. The current losing streak began with a 60-38 loss against Virginia before they added another one in an 80-76 home loss against Georgia Tech.

There are two pressing reasons for Miami’s struggles: The guards don’t create shots and the team constantly is missing a starter.

On the first front, Miami’s offense dipped from one of the best in America to ranking 72nd in offensive efficiency. The main thing you look at is losing Isaiah Wong and nobody replacing his shot-creating prowess. That’s not where Kyshawn George, Nijel Pack or Wooga Poplar excel. The Hurricanes' offense looks entirely different without a dominant creator like Wong.

Miami largely had a clean bill of health in last year’s Final Four run. This year, it seems like a starter is missing in every game. Pack is the latest culprit, missing three consecutive games, while the other four starters have each missed at least one game. Miami’s depth isn’t strong enough to afford injuries.

It seems like the ship has sailed on Miami's season.

The Tar Heels snagged an ugly win in 54-44 fashion over Virginia on Saturday. But who cares if the win is ugly? It still counts as a Quad 1 road win.

UNC's defense has been dominant, ranking eight in defensive efficiency. The Tar Heels totally changed their year by becoming outstanding on the defensive end. Opponents shoot 29% from 3 (18th in 3-point percentage allowed) while they also rank 46th nationally in 2-point field goal defense. UNC doesn't play an aggressive defense, forcing turnovers on 15% of possessions. The team is well-connected and forces difficult shots.

Armando Bacot is one of the top players in the sport when he's confident. And boy are we seeing a confident version of Bacot. Since falling short of a double-double in five straight games, Bacot has collected double-doubles in six straight and scored 24+ points in three of those games. He's back to being a top player in the sport and should have a solid day matched up against Norchad Omier.

UNC boasts one of the top duos in the country with Bacot and guard RJ Davis. Davis has already locked up ACC Player of the Year honors, posting 21 points per game for the ACC's best team. If you contain Bacot inside, you still have to account for Davis' dominant scoring.

While the Tar Heels' defense is awesome, they are also terrific on the offensive end. UNC should score at least 80 points against Miami's porous defense, which means Miami needs to get somewhere in the 75 range.

I'm being conservative on UNC's total because 100 points seems feasible here. Both teams play faster tempos and shoot it well from 3, so expect a high-scoring showdown in Chapel Hill.

Pick: Over 154.5 (Play to 155.5)