2022 NCAA Tournament Marquette vs. North Carolina odds, line: Advanced model reveals picks, best bets for Thursday's matchup

The No. 9 Marquette Golden Eagles (19-12) match up against the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels (24-9) in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. ET. North Carolina is favored by 3.5 points at Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over-Under is set at 153 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page). 

Before making any Marquette vs. North Carolina picks, you NEED to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $1,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen HUGE returns.

The model knows North Carolina junior forward Armando Bacot has been consistent all season. Bacot ranks seventh in the ACC scoring (16.5), first in rebounds (12.5) and second in field-goal percentage (.598). The Virginia native has recorded a double-double in eight of his last 10 games. In the ACC semifinals, Bacot had 19 points, 14 rebounds and went 9-for-10 from the field. 

The model also knows Marquette redshirt freshman forward Justin Lewis was one of the top players in the Big East this year. Lewis finished the season ranked third in points (17.1) and fourth in rebounds (7.9). The Maryland native scored 20-plus in three of his last seven games. In the Big East quarterfinals, Lewis dropped 28 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. 

Now, it has set its sights on Marquette vs. North Carolina. We can tell you the model is leaning Under the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins Marquette vs. North Carolina? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of Marquette vs. North Carolina spread you should be all over Thursday, all from the model on a roll on college basketball picks!