The Pittsburgh Panthers and North Carolina Tar Heels meet Saturday in college basketball action at the Dean E. Smith Center. Here’s a North Carolina vs Pittsburgh Prediction. This article will include a North Carolina vs Pittsburgh Pick.
Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Preview
The Pittsburgh Panthers lost to Duke and SMU, and they play Notre Dame next. Pitt has lost 7 of its last 8 games.
The Pittsburgh Panthers are averaging 70.1 points on 43.2 percent shooting and allowing 71.5 points on 46 percent shooting. Brandin Cummings is averaging 12.5 points and 2.1 assists, while Cameron Corhen is averaging 12 points and 7.2 rebounds. Barry Dunning Jr. is the third double-digit scorer and Roman Siulepa is grabbing 5.5 rebounds. The Pittsburgh Panthers are shooting 33 percent from beyond the arc and 66.1 percent from the free throw line. The Pittsburgh Panthers are allowing 35.4 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 31.7 rebounds per game.
North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Preview
The North Carolina Tar Heels beat Duke, lost to Miami, and they play NC State next. North Carolina has won 5 of its last 6 games.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are averaging 82 points on 47.7 percent shooting and allowing 70.7 points on 40.8 percent shooting. Caleb Wilson is averaging 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds, while Henri Veesaar is averaging 16.4 points and 9 rebounds. Seth Trimble is the third double-digit scorer and Luka Bogavac is grabbing 2.5 rebounds. The North Carolina Tar Heels are shooting 34.4 percent from beyond the arc and 68.8 percent from the free throw line. The North Carolina Tar Heels are allowing 33.9 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 36 rebounds per game.
Why the North Carolina Tar Heels will win
- North Carolina has won each of its last 19 games as an AP-ranked team against a non-AP-ranked team at Dean E. Smith Center.
- Pittsburgh has lost each of its last eight games against AP-ranked opponents.
- North Carolina has won the first half in each of its last 26 games at Dean E. Smith Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Pittsburgh Panthers will win
- North Carolina has lost four of its last five games as a top-15 AP-ranked team against a non-AP-ranked team.
- Pittsburgh has won three of its last four games at Dean E. Smith Center.
- North Carolina has lost the first half in three of its last four games as a top-15 AP-ranked team.
Total Points Facts
- Nine of North Carolina’s last 10 games against non-AP-ranked opponents have produced a total of 145+ points.
- Each of Pittsburgh’s last four games at Dean E. Smith Center have produced a total of 143 or fewer points.
North Carolina vs Pittsburgh Prediction
Pittsburgh is awful on both sides of the ball and could easily get blown out. Pitt doesn’t defend, doesn’t shoot the ball well anywhere on the floor and is 1-6 SU on the road. However, North Carolina just lost Caleb Wilson to a broken hand, and he’s been the saving grace for much of the season. Wilson was the only one who showed up against Duke for the first 35 minutes, and he did what he could to keep the Tar Heels in it against Miami.
Let’s also not forget the Syracuse game where UNC blew a billion point lead in about six minutes. It’s going to be interesting to see how North Carolina looks without its best player. Who is going to step up? There’s better games out there but it’s Pitt or pass for me.