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UNC Basketball: Round one vs. Iona odds released for NCAA Tournament

By Zack Pearson

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels in action against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during the Quarterfinals of the ACC Basketball Tournament at the Barclays Center on March 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels in action against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during the Quarterfinals of the ACC Basketball Tournament at the Barclays Center on March 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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The UNC Basketball team will be heavy favorites in their opening matchup against Iona on Friday in the NCAA Tournament

For the 17th time in program history, the North Carolina Tar Heels have earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament after going 27-6 overall and winning 16 games in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

They were one of three ACC teams to take a No. 1 seed in the tournament with Duke being the overall No. 1 and Virginia taking the top spot in the South. While Duke appears to be the favorite to win it all in some analysts eyes, don’t count the Tar Heels out just yet and if the two teams meet for Round 4, it will be in Minneapolis for the National Championship.

But before we look ahead, we have to break down UNC’s upcoming matchup with the Iona Gaels.

The two teams will meet Friday night in the first round of the tournament in Columbus, Ohio with a tipoff time set for 9:20 p.m. ET. Of course, that could change depending on how late the other games go but either way, it’s going to be a late tip for the Tar Heels.

Iona finished the season at 17-15 but ended it on a 10-game win streak. They earned an automatic bid after winning the MAAC conference earlier last week.

UNC will enter that first-round game on Friday as heavy favorites. Oddsmakers have the Tar Heels at 26-point favorites with an opening line of -26 according to Oddshark.

The line ranges from 24-28 on some sites with Westgate having UNC at -25 and Caesars putting them at -24.

Either way, the Tar Heels are big favorites and they should be. Only once has a 16-seed beat a 1-seed in NCAA Tournament history with that coming in 2018 as UMBC shocked the world and knocked off the overall No. 1 seed Virginia.

UNC should be able to get by Iona with ease and move into that second-round game on Sunday vs. either No. 8 Utah State or No. 9 Washington. But that’s why they play the games, so let’s just worry about Iona first.

Next. 5 reasons why UNC can win it all. dark

For more on the UNC Basketball program and March Madness, check back with Keeping It Heel.

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