The No. 15 North Carolina Tar Heels (10-3) travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers (10-3) in a matchup that pits outstanding offense against exceptional defense. The game starts at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 5, 2019, and will air on ACC Network.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Pittsburgh Panthers Free Prediction
In the Tar Heels’ last contest, they topped the Wofford Terriers, 78-67. The Tar Heels had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (35.7 vs. 26.5) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.568 vs. 0.452). North Carolina rallied around Luke Maye, who was the game’s high scorer with 24 points on 7-for-13 shooting.
The Panthers defeated the Youngstown State Penguins in their last matchup, 69-53. The Panthers had a much better free throw rate (0.236 vs. 0.134) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.509 vs. 0.328). With 16 points, six assists and five rebounds, Pittsburgh’s Xavier Johnson had a good performance.
After the Tar Heels won the only game against the Panthers last season, 96-65, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Tar Heels had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (48.5 vs. 26.2) and had a much better turnover percentage (12.4 vs. 19.4).
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Cameron Johnson (0 points) has been fantastic for the Tar Heels while Johnson (0 points) has made great contributions to the Panthers.
Baskets could be hard to come by in this battle between a pair of the country’s top defenses. Pittsburgh ranks ninth in defensive efficiency (86.8) and North Carolina is 59th (94.2). Also, the Tar Heels, who rank 29th in offensive rebounding percentage (36.1 percent), will square off against the Panthers, who rank 283rd in defensive rebounding percentage (68.7 percent).
North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh Betting Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Pittsburgh, ATS Winner – Pittsburgh, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
North Carolina ranks fourth in rebounds per game (44.3) while Pittsburgh ranks 144th in rebounds allowed per game (35.6).
The Tar Heels rank fifth in assists per game (19.4) while the Panthers rank 119th (13.8).
Pittsburgh averages 4.3 blocks per game, which ranks 51st in the NCAA. North Carolina ranks 144th in blocks allowed per game (4.4).
The Tar Heels rank 44th in steals per game (7.9) while the Panthers rank 132nd in steals allowed per game (7.0).
Pittsburgh ranks 150th in three pointers allowed per game (23.5) while North Carolina ranks 229th (26.5).
Bettings Trends:
The Tar Heels’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 30.6, up from 17.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Panthers have scored an average of 83.0 points per game (5.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 64.0 points per game (1.8 above their season average).
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