Ricky Dimon
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It’s March, which means it’s the best time of year for college basketball – March Madness. It also means that online sports betting has been legalized in North Carolina, with a full launch at every major sportsbook on March 11.
Although football season may be over, there are plenty of options with which to begin your betting experience in North Carolina. The Duke Blue Devils are already out of the ACC Tournament, but the North Carolina Tar Heels will headline semifinal action on Friday. In the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets are mercifully nearing the end of their season and they will host the Phoenix Suns.
Let’s take a look at my 3-team North Carolina-based parlay.
If you want to get in the game now and wager on any North Carolina-based team (or on any other available markets), here are some of the best sportsbooks at which to do so – and their accompanying NC launch offers:
- FanDuel Sportsbook: Bet $5, Get $250 in Bonus Bets
- DraftKings Sportsbook: Bet $5, Get $250 in Bonus Bets
- BetMGM Sportsbook: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets
- Caesars Sportsbook: Bet $10, Get $250 in Bonus Bets with promo code PICKSWISENC
- Bet365 Sportsbook: Bet $5 and Get $150 in Bonus Bets OR $1,000 Back If Your First Bet Lose
Now let’s dive into my NC parlay for Friday’s sports schedule.
North Carolina -7.5 over Pittsburgh (-108)
NC State +2.5 over Virginia (-110)
Hornets +10 over Suns (-108)
NC Parlay odds: +608
North Carolina Tar Heels -7.5 over Pittsburgh Panthers (-108)
I backed North Carolina to win by double-digits in yesterday’s parlay and that was an easy winner. The Tar Heels clobbered Florida State 92-67 in a game that was competitive for about all of 5 minutes. They have now won 7 in a row and have scored at least 84 points in 3 straight outings. With Duke already out of the ACC Tournament, the Heels are sizable favorites to cut down the nets. Of course, even with Duke it would be no different; UNC would still be a big favorite. After all, it swept the Blue Devils during the regular season — including a victory in Cameron Indoor Stadium last weekend. Even though Pittsburgh is pretty good, there is still a huge gap in overall talent.
Read our full Pitt Panthers vs North Carolina Tar Heels predictions
NC State Wolfpack +2.5 over Virginia Cavaliers (-110)
Who was responsible for Duke’s ouster on Thursday? The answer is none other than in-state rival NC State. In their 74-69 victory the Wolfpack shot 45.9 percent overall and 43.8 percent from 3-point range. They could have won even more comfortably but made just 11 of 20 free throws. If NC State can improve from the charity stripe (and you have to think it will), a seriously impressive performance could be in the cards for Friday. The ‘Pack have a ton of momentum and they match up well with Virginia. In 2 regular-season matchups they destroyed the Wahoos at home and pushed UVA to overtime in Charlottesville. Although I like NC State outright, 2.5 points could come in handy in what should be a low-scoring affair.
Read our full Virginia Cavaliers vs NC State Wolfpack predictions
Charlotte Hornets +10 over Phoenix Suns (-108)
There is at least some good news for the Hornets. They have won 2 of their last 3 games and Miles Bridges has scored at least 24 points in 4 consecutive contests. Now they face a Phoenix squad that is playing the second leg of a back-to-back situation. The Suns predictably got blown out at Boston on Thursday and is now 5-6 SU in its last 11 overall. Eric Gordon and Josh Okogie are sidelined, so depth is lacking. I doubt Charlotte can pull off the upset, but this tilt will likely be more competitive than expected.
Read our full Phoenix Suns vs Charlotte Hornets predictions
