The final Elite Eight game of the season takes place tonight when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish play the North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament. The game is being played inside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where it will have a start time of 8:49 p.m. and be televised nationally on TBS. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Tar Heels favored by nearly double digits to pick up the win.

Notre Dame has been living on the edge this tournament, picking up wins over Michigan, Stephen F. Austin and Wisconsin by a combined 13 points. Mike Brey’s team has been able to play well down the stretch in all three of those games, taking control in the final few minutes in order to continue advancing.

North Carolina has not had that problem. The Tar Heels have beaten Florida Gulf Coast, Providence and Indiana by an average of better than 16 points per game. Carolina has looked like the best team in the tournament through the first few rounds, now they take on a Notre Dame team that has found a way to grind out wins.

It seems fitting for Irish fans that this game is being played on Easter Sunday, but maybe that is reading too far into it.

Carolina has the size, athleticism and the better overall guards. All three will play important roles in this game, as will rebounding, which is something North Carolina is exceptional at doing. Their bigs will be able to mop up the rebounds, get second-chance opportunities and lead them to the last Final Four spot.

Free Pick: North Carolina

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