Washington State advanced to the Sweet 16 with a 61-41 win over Notre Dame last Saturday in Denver, Colorado. SBG Global reports that early NCAA Basketball betting has the public taking Washington State on the Road

NCAA Tourney Betting Preview
Washington State (26-8) vs. North Carolina (34-2)
Thursday, 7:25 pm Eastern – CBS

SBG Global Current Line: North Carolina  - 8.5 , Total 141.5 

Washington State is having their best season in school history.  The game on Thursday features the Cougars second best defense (56.1 points allowed per game) against the second-highest scoring offense in the nation (89.9 points scored per game). "Similar to our game against Notre Dame, our transition defense is very important," Washington State head coach Tony Bennett said, "They're the most impressive team in the country in terms of getting down the floor and scoring off your misses and makes. We're playing against extreme talent and our style of play will be very important." Washington State will try and stay disciplined on Thursday just as they have all season. "It's not like we're trying to become a solid transition defensive team in the next few days while we get ready for them," Bennett said. "Hopefully, what we've done throughout the season will pay off...It's not like we're going to change our game plan completely to be successful in this game. We just have to do what we do at an elite level." 

The Cougars are 26-8 this season, having tied last season’s squad for the most wins in school history. Washington State is allowing just 40.5 points per game in the two NCAA Tournament games thus far. The Cougars defeated No. 13 Winthrop, 71-40, Thursday in the first round, then followed with a 61-41 victory over No. 5 Notre Dame on Saturday. The Cougars have made five trips to the NCAA Tournament in their history and have gone 6-5.  They are in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time ever. The only other time the Cougars have won two games in the tournament came in 1941 when the field consisted of eight teams. 

Here are the NCAA Basketball betting stats for Thursday’s game.  The Cougars are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games. The Cougars are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games. The Cougars are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog. 

The Tar Heels are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. the Pacific-10. The Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games. The Tar Heels are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games vs. a team with a winning record. The Tar Heels are 40-17-1 ATS in their last 58 non-conference games. The Tar Heels are 22-10 ATS in their last 32 games overall. The Tar Heels are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as a favorite. 

The Over is 5-2 in the Cougars last 7 games as an underdog. The Under is 30-12-1 in the Cougars last 43 non-conference games. The Under is 7-3 in the Cougars last 10 overall. 

The Under is 8-1 in the Tar Heels last 9 vs. the Pacific-10. The Over is 5-1 in the Tar Heels last 6 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite. The Over is 7-2 in the Tar Heels last 9 non-conference games. The Over is 7-2-1 in the Tar Heels last 10 overall. The Over is 19-7-1 in the Tar Heels last 27 games as a favorite. The Over is 11-5 in the Tar Heels last 16 Thursday games. 

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