College Basketball Odds
- College Basketball Odds on Pitt Panthers take on the UNC Tar Heels in ACC play on Friday afternoon.
- The Tar Heels are favored on the road as they seek vengeance for last season’s shocking defeat to the Panthers in Chapel Hill.
- Continue reading for a complete overview of this contest, as well as a betting prediction.
Odds for North Carolina vs. Pitt
In a Friday matinée between two ACC teams, the Pitt Panthers take on the North Carolina Tar Heels. College Basketball Odds, while many other conferences are just getting started, the ACC has already had each team play at least two games.
Pittsburgh and North Carolina are both 9-4 on the season, but their routes to that point have been quite different. The Panthers have won eight of their past nine games after starting the season 1-3. Pittsburgh is also 2-0 in league play, with away victories against N.C. State and Syracuse.
Also read : NBA Celtics Bury the Kings with a 35-4 run, and Jaylen Brown believes Payton Pritchard is ‘mastering’ the great microwave roleNorth Carolina, on the other hand, started the season with five victories before losing the next four. Since then on College Basketball Odds, the Tar Heels have won four straight games, including an overtime triumph against Ohio State in the Quad 1. At Virginia Tech, the Tar Heels suffered their first conference road loss. Will they be able to escape the same fate in Pittsburgh?
Tar Heels of North Carolina
North Carolina’s team is largely identical to last year’s, headed by Armando Bacot and Caleb Love. Pete Nance, who moved to Chapel Hill from Northwestern in the winter, is one of the few changes. Nance averages 11.8 points per game and is second on the squad in rebounds, behind only Bacot.
While North Carolina’s offense remains strong, I have some significant reservations about the Tar Heels. North Carolina’s offensive productivity is a function of the number of shots they take and their desire to play fast, rather than genuine effective shooting for the College Basketball Odds. When it comes to effective field goal percentage, the Tar Heels are outside the top 100.
North Carolina likewise gets virtually all of their points from beyond the arc.
UNC has received little assistance from its bench, averaging just 12.1 points per game on College Basketball Odds.
The Tar Heels’ main priority on defense will be fouling and guarding on the perimeter. When it comes to 3-pointers made per game, Pitt is third in the ACC. North Carolina, on the other hand, has been the second worst in terms of 3-point percentage allowed for the College Basketball Odds.
Panthers of Pitt
Pitt has been ranked in the top 100 in the country in adjusted efficiency at both ends of the floor at the College Basketball Odds. The Panthers, on the other hand, have done so against a non-conference schedule ranked 287th in strength. There’s also some concern over whether John Hugley will play for the Panthers versus North Carolina.
North Carolina will be the first significant test for a Panthers squad that will open ACC play facing a grueling schedule. According to KenPom, the Panthers’ next four games will be against teams ranked in the top 75.
Turnovers have been one of Pittsburgh’s major problems this season. The Panthers turn the ball over on 19.8% of their possessions, but UNC has failed to induce turnovers. The Tar Heels are ranked outside the top 300 in the country, forcing opponents to turn the ball over on just 16.2% of possessions.
While I fully anticipate them to continue their success, I believe Pittsburgh leans nearly too much on the 3-point shot. If they can’t get shots from beyond the arc to fall against North Carolina, Pittsburgh might be in big danger.
Betting Prediction for North Carolina vs. Pitt
Last year, North Carolina lost at home to Pittsburgh before going on to win the remaining five games of the season, catapulting them into a March Madness run that took them all the way to the National Championship game.
And, despite the fact that Pittsburgh is without Hugley, their best scorer and rebounder from last season, this squad is much superior than the one that defeated Bacot and company at Chapel Hill a year ago.
However the College Basketball Odds, I believe UNC comes into this game looking to avenge their nine-point setback in Chapel Hill last season. Four starters from that squad returned this year, and I don’t think they’ll ever forget that game. In Hugley’s absence, many guys have stood up for Pittsburgh, but I’m not sure it will be enough if he can’t play against the Tar Heels.
I’m going with the Tar Heels at -6 or better.
