by Amedeus Mastrangelo
Monday, Nov 08, 2021
Game Time: 8:30 pm ET, Thursday, November 11, 2021
Venue: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: UNC +6, Pittsburgh -6; Over/Under: 75 points
Bet365: Point Spread: UNC +6, Pittsburgh -6; Over/Under: 75 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: UNC +6, Pittsburgh -6; Over/Under: 74.5 points
Season Record
North Carolina Tar Heels: 5-4 (4th place, ACC Coastal)
Pittsburgh Panthers: 7-2 (1st place, ACC Coastal)
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North Carolina Tar Heels vs Pittsburgh Panthers Preview and Analysis
Recent Form
North Carolina Tar Heels: won at home on Nov. 6 against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 58-55.
Pittsburgh Panthers: won on the road on Nov. 6 against the Duke Blue Devils 54-29.
North Carolina Tar Heels Analysis
UNC is coming into this college football game with a 5-4 record overall and they are 0-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. This will be their 7th conference matchup this year and they are currently 3-3 in their conference games this season. They have won 2 of their last 3 games and are coming into this game off of a win in their last game against WF. Sam Howell played well in that game as he completed 16/26 passes for 216 yards and 1 touchdown. Ty Chandler had a massive day on the ground as he led the team in rushing with 213 yards and 4 touchdowns on 22 carries while Howell had 104 rushing yards himself and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries. Antoine Green led the receivers with 83 yards and 1 touchdown on 6 receptions. Cedric Gray led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 7 assisted ones. Tomon Fox and Jahvaree Ritzie both had the only sacks for them in that game with 1 each while Cam'ron Kelly was the only one on the defense to come away with an interception for them in that one, and he had 2 interceptions in that game. They have scored 350 points in their 9 games this season averaging 38.9 PPG and they have allowed their opponents to score 301 points against them allowing 33.4 PPG. North Carolina’s offense is averaging 482.9 YPG while the North Carolina defense is allowing 397.3 YPG.
Pittsburgh Panthers Analysis
Pittsburgh is coming into this game with a 7-2 record overall and they are 3-2 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. This will be the 6th conference matchup on their schedule this year and they are currently 4-1 in their conference games this season. They have won 5 of their last 6 games and are coming into this game off of a win in their last game against Duke. Kenny Pickett played great in that game as he completed 28/43 passes for 416 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rodney Hammond Jr. led the team in rushing with 81 yards and 1 touchdown on 16 carries while Israel Abanikanda had 67 yards on 10 carries. Pickett ran in 1 TD on the ground in that one as well. Jordan Addison had a massive day as he led the receivers with 171 yards and 1 touchdown on 7 receptions while Jared Wayne had 81 yards and 1 touchdown on 5 receptions. Gavin Bartholomew caught the other touchdown pass in that one. John Petrishen led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 6 assisted ones along with 1 sack as well. Cam Bright led the defense in sacks in that game with 2.5 while Petrishen had the only interception for them in that one. They have scored 405 points in their 9 games this season averaging 45 PPG and they have allowed their opponents to score 204 points against them allowing 22.7 PPG. Pittsburgh’s offense is averaging 529.1 YPG while the Panthers’ defense is allowing 340.1 YPG.
North Carolina vs Pittsburgh Prediction
Pittsburgh is coming into this game as a 6 point favorite while the point total is set at 75 with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Pittsburgh has been playing well in most of their conference games this season and they are coming off of a nice bounce back win against Duke in a big blowout which they should have done and they did. UNC is coming off of a game where they just handed undefeated Wake Forest their first loss of the season and this will likely be a let down game for them. UNC has been awful on the road this season and after a big win like that, this is a bad spot for them. The best bet to place in this game is on Pittsburgh to cover the spread here.
North Carolina Pittsburgh Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Thursday, November 11, 2021 (8:30 pm ET start time) is Pittsburgh 45 UNC 34.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
North Carolina Tar Heels: 175-174 ATS in all games. 81-75 ATS as an underdog. 46-44 ATS as a road underdog. 77-75 ATS in road games. 119-109 ATS after playing a conference game.
Pittsburgh Panthers: 168-174 ATS in all games. 81-90 ATS as a favorite. 46-57 ATS as a home favorite. 84-89 ATS in home games.
Key Injuries
North Carolina Tar Heels: C. Hood (RB) Out indefinitely - Upper Body injury. T. Hopper (LB) Out indefinitely - Upper Body injury. L. Hollins (DB) out for season - Lower Body injury.
Pittsburgh Panthers: A. Davis Jr. (RB) Ques Thurs - Undisclosed injury. J. Barden (WR) Ques Thurs - Undisclosed injury. T. Mack (WR) Ques Thurs - Arm injury.
Notable Quotes
"I've told them: every Saturday you build memories. That's what you do. And this is a game that they will remember for the rest of their lives. And I'm really, really proud that my name is associated with them." - Head coach Mack Brown after his team’s win against the undefeated Wake Forest.
"Just got back into a rhythm, playing our game. Getting into the rhythm of the game." - Kenny Pickett on their win over Duke in their last game.
Starting Lineups
North Carolina Tar Heels
WR Olson, Justin
WR Green, Antoine
WR Josh Downs
TE Walston, Garrett
QB Howell, Sam
RB Chandler, Ty
Pittsburgh Panthers
WR Taysir Mack
WR Jacques-Louis, Shocky
WR Addison, Jordan
TE Krull, Lucas
QB Pickett, Kenny
RB Abanikanda, Israel
Statistical Leaders
North Carolina Stats
Passing: S. Howell (2408)
Rushing: T. Chandler (884)
Receiving: J. Downs (1014)
Touchdowns: T. Chandler (13)
Pittsburgh Stats
Passing: K. Pickett (3171)
Rushing: I. Abanikanda (498)
Receiving: J. Addison (986)
Touchdowns: J. Addison (11)
Coaches:
North Carolina Tar Heels: Mack Brown (3rd season)
Pittsburgh Panthers: Pat Narduzzi (7th season)
Amedeus Mastrangelo
About the Author:
Amedeus Mastrangelo has been heavily wagering on all sports for years and plays just about everything, including sides, totals, favorites, underdogs, against the spread, alternative spreads, first half, second half, player props, and futures. The bottom line is, if Mastrangelo can see an edge in any way shape or form, then he's going to take advantage.
