The Tar Heels are taking an arduous road trip north to take on the 9-4 Pittsburgh Panthers on Tuesday night. It is the first game of the New Year for each team, and it has crucial ACC Conference standings on the line. The Panthers are 0-2 in ACC play, and losing a third straight could take them out of ACC contention very early in the season. The Tar Heels are 1-0 in conference action and want to stay tied for first place.
North Carolina is 6-6 against the spread this season but has covered in their last two contests and hit the OVER total points in three of their last four. Pittsburgh is 7-6 against the spread this season but has not been very good since their first four matchups of the year, when they covered in each. Since then, the Panthers are 3-6 against the spread, failing to cover in either of their last two.
The important clash hosted by Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center on Tuesday will tip off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Here are the North Carolina at Pittsburgh live odds, team betting news, game props and a betting prediction for tonight's primetime ACC Conference contest.
Live odds for North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh
Here are the spread, moneyline, and total points live odds for the ACC matchup between North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh at the best online sportsbooks.
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North Carolina Tar Heels betting news
North Carolina had a tough two-game skid with losses to Kentucky (87-83) and UConn (87-76) but has bounced back in a big way, winning their last two games in dominating fashion. The Tar Heels are getting excellent contributions from their senior leaders, RJ Davis and Armando Bacot. They are the team's top two leading scorers, with Davis first with 21.6 PPG and Bacot averaging 14.8 PPG.
Two more veterans are also in double figures, with junior Harrison Ingram at 13.2 PPG and Cormac Ryan averaging 11.2 PPG. The one player that continues to show glimpses of elite play is freshman guard Elliot Cadeau, who averages 3.7 assists per game along with 7.3 ooints. He is coming off his second double-digit scoring effort of the season, and as he continues to improve, he will be a key to the Tar Heels reaching their ceiling.
North Carolina is well-balanced as a team, and while their offense is their strong side of the ball, ranking ninth on Kenpom for adjusted offensive efficiency, the defense is not far behind. Ranking 39th for adjusted defensive efficiency, the Tar Heels have shown the ability to limit opposing offenses late in games. Opponents have to be careful not to let Carolina get out in transition, too, as they have the 30th-rated adjusted tempo on Kenpom and are dangerous in the open court.
Pittsburgh Panthers betting news
Pittsburgh had a tough stretch of games after their 4-0 start. When they faced their first bit of real competition, they went 1-3, losing to Florida (86-71), Missouri (71-64) and Clemson (79-70). They turned it around to win their next four, but only one, West Virginia (80-63), was a power five opponent. After losing to Syracuse (81-73), it is fair to ask if Pittsburgh can beat good opponents or whether they just take advantage of teams they outmatch.
The Panthers' offense ranks 63rd for adjusted offensive efficiency on Kenpom, and their defense ranks 44th. It is also concerning that they rank 249th for adjusted strength of schedule rating. The team's 9-4 record doesn't look as impressive when considering Pitt has played one of the easiest schedules in the country.
To start beating better opponents like North Carolina with more consistency, the Panthers will need to continue to get strong play out of Blake Hinson, Carlton Carrington and Ishmael Leggett. They are the team's top three leading scorers and the only ones to average double figures. Hinson leads the team with 19.5 PPG and is an excellent three-point shooter (43.8 3P%). Carrington is second, scoring 14.1 PPG, and Leggett is third at 13.2 PPG while also leading the team in rebounding at 6.1 a night.
North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh game props at FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook is there every day of the season for college basketball bettors. They regularly have the earliest available prop markets for college basketball games. Tonight is no different; check out some of our favorite high-value odds for the Tar Heels road trip against the Panthers.
- 2 or more point FGs made in first three minutes: YES (+120) / NO (-152)
- Both teams to score in the first 2 minutes: YES (-330) / NO (+240)
- 2.5 total points scored in 1st minute of the game OVER (-118) / UNDER (-112)
- 1st half correct score:
- UNC 38 - Pitt 36 (+16000)
- UNC 38 - Pitt 37 (+16000)
- UNC 37 - Pitt 36 (+16000)
- UNC 39 - Pitt 36 (+16000)
- Full game correct score:
- UNC 81 - Pitt 78 (+23000)
- UNC 82 - Pitt 79 (+23000)
- UNC 80 - Pitt 77 (+23000)
- UNC 81 - Pitt 76 (+23000)
- UNC 79 - Pitt 76 (+23000)
North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh prediction: Tar Heels too much for Panthers to handle
The Panthers desperately need an ACC Conference win, but do not expect them to get it by upsetting the Tar Heels. The Pittsburgh guards are strong enough to match up with North Carolina's, but the difference in Tuesday night's contest will be Tar Heels senior center Armando Bacot. He is a rebounding machine and will be a tough matchup for any of the Panthers' front-court players.
Pick: North Carolina
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