North Carolina Tar Heels vs Pittsburgh Panthers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Pittsburgh vs North Carolina NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Chapel Hill.

Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Prediction

Betting on today's Panthers and Tar Heels game? Catch the action at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC, as the Tar Heels hosts this showdown at 4:00 ET on ESPNU. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 154.5 points, and North Carolina is favored by -4.5 to win at home against Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Pittsburgh Panthers at North Carolina Tar Heels
Where: Chapel Hill at Dean E. Smith Center
Date: Saturday, February 8th
Betting Odds NCAR -4.5, PITT +165 | NCAR -205 O/U 154.5

Panthers Preview: Can Pittsburgh Lock in a Road Win?

Pittsburgh Panthers Recent Game/Games

Pittsburgh fell to 14-8 on the season after a 73-57 home loss to Virginia on Monday. The Panthers were -13 favorites but failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 34-19 at halftime, Pittsburgh scored 38 points in the 2nd half but allowed 39. The game’s total points of 130 narrowly missed the O/U line of 130.5.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Pittsburgh managed just 57 points in their last game, shooting 41.9% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.8%, with a 52.2% success rate on two-point attempts. The Panthers connected on 15 of 21 free throws, good for 71.4%.

Offensively, they struggled to create opportunities, recording only 5 assists and 4 offensive rebounds. Dai Dai Ames led the way with 27 points, hitting 11 of 16 shots, including 3 of 6 from three-point range. Ishmael Leggett added 17 points, shooting 63.6% from the field.

Panthers Team Defense

Despite Pittsburgh's defense holding their opponent to 41% shooting, they still gave up 73 points. The Panthers allowed 12 two-point field goals on 23 attempts, with their opponent shooting 52% from inside the arc.

From three-point range, Pittsburgh's defense limited their opponent to 6 made threes on 20 attempts, a 30% shooting performance. The Panthers also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 21 times, where they made 15 free throws, shooting 71%. Pittsburgh gave up 4 offensive rebounds in the game.

Tar Heels Preview: Do the Tar Heels Stand a Chance at Home?

North Carolina Tar Heels Recent Game/Games

North Carolina’s season record dropped to 13-10 after an 87-70 road loss to Duke on Saturday. The Tar Heels entered the game as +13.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 157, exceeding the over/under line of 148.5.

UNC found themselves in a deep hole early, trailing 47-25 at halftime. They showed more fight in the second half, outscoring Duke 45-40, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.

Tar Heels Offense Breakdown

North Carolina put up 70 points in their last game, shooting 47.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 54.5%. They hit 7 of 19 threes (36.8%) and were 19 of 36 on two-point attempts (52.8%), while also converting 78.6% from the free-throw line (11/14).

Kon Knueppel led the way with 22 points, shooting 63.6% overall and 50% from three (2/4), adding 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Cooper Flagg contributed 21 points, hitting 3 of 5 from deep (60.0%), and added 8 rebounds and 7 assists. The Tar Heels also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and dished out 11 assists as a team.

Tar Heels Team Defense

North Carolina's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 87 points on 52% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 54% of their two-point attempts, with 18 made shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, the Tar Heels allowed 10 threes on 20 attempts, a 50% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 21 shots, an 84% success rate. North Carolina gave up 7 offensive rebounds.

Panthers vs Tar Heels Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road contests, the Panthers offense has averaged 69 points per game while allowing an average of 76. Pittsburgh posted an overall record of 4-6 while going 4-6 ATS.
In their last five games at home, the Tar Heels have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 0-4-1 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 67 points per game in these contests.
Looking back on the team's last five games as the underdog, the Panthers have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-2.
Against the spread, the Tar Heels have put together 1-2 in their last three games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 2-1 straight up.