The No.1-seed North Carolina Tar Heels advanced to the ACC tournament semifinals by beating Florida State 92-67 on Wednesday afternoon. Despite their best efforts to choke away the lead, Pitt grabbed the win over Wake Forest 81-69. It is time to continue our men's college basketball odds series with a Pitt-North Carolina prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Ishmael Leggett was the hero for Pitt, scoring a season-high 30 points to hold on against Wake Forest. The team shot 48.1% from the floor and held a good three-point shooting team to 28.6%. Both teams were on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, so the win for Pitt may have also gotten them a berth.
The Tar Heels earned their seventh-straight win Wednesday afternoon by dominating the Seminoles. North Carolina took care of business after a disappointing loss to Syracuse on February 13th, winning six straight games to end the regular season. The Tar Heels were double-digit favorites in four games but wins over Virginia and Duke as an underdog show that North Carolina is a deserved favorite. North Carolina is 8-0 against all the remaining teams in the tournament.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Pitt-North Carolina Odds
Pitt: +6.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +230
North Carolina: -6.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -285
Over: 147.5 (-110)
Under: 147.5 (-110)
How to Watch Pitt vs. North Carolina
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Pitt Will Cover The Spread/Win
Pitt's defense shut down Wake Forest in Wednesday's victory, and the Panthers must put forth an even better effort to cover against North Carolina. Pitt was 58th in the country, holding opponents to 67.5 points per game.
Pitt has been in good form recently, winning eight of their last ten regular season games and holding an 8-1-1 record against the spread. The Panthers also covered the spread in the opening game of the ACC Tournament, despite almost giving the game away late. Pitt was an underdog pregame despite ranking higher in seeding.
Why North Carolina Will Cover The Spread/Win
North Carolina will have a much tougher test than the 280th-ranked Florida State defense. However, the Tar Heels' offense matches up well against most of the defenses left in the tournament. The Tar Heels are 24th in the nation this season, averaging 81.6 points. North Carolina doesn't have the greatest efficiency, ranking 161st from the floor, but is a high-paced offense near the top of college basketball in attempts per game. Not many ACC teams have figured out how to slow down the Tar Heels.
The Tar Heels are finding their form defensively after being barely above average all year. In the last five games, North Carolina's defense has allowed just 63 points per game. This correlates to the Tar Heels covering three straight games, as North Carolina's defense allowed teams to stick around toward the end of the regular season.
Final Pitt-North Carolina Prediction & Pick
North Carolina's defense turned heads at the end of the season, proving that they may be ready to make a run in March. The Tar Heels allowed 63 points per game in their last five regular-season games, then held Florida State to 67 points. Pitt was an average team offensively all season and had stretches of inconsistent play throughout. Those offensive inconsistencies reared their head again in the tournament's opening game, as they almost gave away the game late.
If you only watched the first half of Wake Forest-Pitt, you may assume that the Panthers have a good chance against North Carolina. However, the Tar Heels are rolling now and should be able to overpower Pitt. Expect North Carolina to get an early lead and run over the Panthers on their way to the ACC Championship game.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Pitt-North Carolina Prediction & Pick: North Carolina -6.5 (-120)
Follow Us
Subscribe