Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina Recommended Bet for 2/1/23

Pittsburgh (15-7 SU 15-6 ATS) vs. North Carolina (15-6 SU 7-14 ATS)
When: Wednesday, February 1st: 7:00 ET
Where: Dean E. Smith Center Chapel Hill, NC
TV: ACCN
Point Spread: Pitt +8.5/ UNC -8.5
Total: 146.0
Money Line: Pittsburgh Panthers +314/North Carolina Tar Heels -419

The Pitt Panthers head to Chapel Hill, NC, to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in Wednesday night ACC action. UNC is a big favorite in this match, with bettors having to lay -8.5 points. The tip-off for tonight’s game at the Dean E. Smith Center is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET, and you can take it on the ACCN.

Line Movement

This game opened with the Tar heels as a -8.5 favorite, then had some upward movement before coming back down to the opener. The O/U line hit the CBB board at 146 points and has jumped a notch to 146.5.

Last Game Info

Pittsburgh picked up a victory over Miami (FL) by a score of 71-68. Heading into the game, the Panthers were favored to win, with a point spread of -0.5. The combined 139 points did not surpass the 147.5 total line.

North Carolina is coming off a 72-68 win over Syracuse. However, they did not cover the spread in the game as a -4.5 point favorite. The combined 140 points did not surpass the 148 total line.

Current Form

Pittsburgh
Over their last five games, Pittsburgh has a straight-up record of 4-1 while going 3-2 vs. the spread. Over this stretch, the Panthers’ offense averages 72.4 points per game while hitting 44.6% of their shots from the field. On the defensive end of the floor, they have allowed opponents to shoot 44.3% from the field while allowing 66.4 points per contest.

North Carolina
In their previous five contests, North Carolina is 4-1 straight-up and 2-3 vs. the spread. In these five games, they have a scoring average of 72.4 points per game on a shooting percentage of 42.3%. Defensively, they allow teams to hit 44.6% of their shots while giving up 65.0 points per game.

Average Power Rating Of Opponents Played

This season, the combined power rating of Pittsburgh’s opponents comes in at 80.9. On the other side, North Carolina’s combined opponent power rating sits at 82.8.

How Does Pittsburgh Fare On The Road?

For the season, the Panthers have played eight road games and have a record of 5-3. In these contests, Pittsburgh is 7-0 vs. the spread. Offensively, they have averaged 74.4 points per game on a shooting percentage of 45.8%. On defense, the Panthers allow 67.1 points per contest when playing away from home. So far, opposing teams have a field goal percentage of 37.6% in these games.

How Does North Carolina Fare At Home?

In their 11 games at home, North Carolina has a 5-6 record vs. the spread while going 11-0 straight-up. On offense, the Tar Heels are shooting 46.7% on their home floor, leading to 81.7 points per game. Defensively, opponents are shooting 41.7% in these contests. The North Carolina defense is allowing 68.2 points per game at home.

Offense vs. Defense

For the season, Pittsburgh is averaging 61.5 points per game (442nd) while posting an overall field goal percentage of 41.4%. In today’s game, they will be matched up against a North Carolina defense that has allowed an average of 72.0 points per contest. This year, opponents have hit 43.7% of their shots vs. North Carolina. On the other side, the North Carolina Tar Heels are coming into the game averaging 77.5 points per game on a shooting percentage of 45.3%. The Tar Heels will be facing a defensive unit allowing an average of 68.2 points per contest. So far, teams have hit 41.8% of their shots vs. the Panthers.

Three-Point Shooting

From beyond the arc, Pittsburgh has a shooting percentage of 31.4% while ranking 605th in attempts per game. The Panthers will be facing a North Carolina defense that has a 3-point field goal shooting percentage allowed of 31.6%. North Carolina enters the game having hit 36.2% of their looks from deep while averaging 8.27 made 3’s per game. On the other end, Pittsburgh has allowed opponents to hit 32.4% of their shots from beyond the arc.

Injuries Of Note

Pittsburgh

• John Hugley (Out) Redshirt
• William Jeffress Jr. (Out) Toe
• Dior Johnson (Out) Suspension
• Vason Stevenson (Out) Undisclosed

North Carolina

• RJ Davis (Probable) Face
• Puff Johnson (Questionable) Knee
• Will Shaver (Out) Foot

Pick Against The Line

Both of these teams have been making Under bettors happy with Pitt going 1-4 versus the O/U line and UNC 0-5 in their last five. They did hit the over in their earlier match-up at the Petersen Events Center, with the Panthers roaring back to get a 76-74 win. In that game, the score was 67-66 with two minutes remaining in the game before a scoring flurry of 17 points sent the game over the 149.5 total line. We’re getting a lower number tonight, but UNC has been especially stingy on defense over their last five, allowing just 65 points per game. Take the Under 147 at (Bovada)