The Pittsburgh Panthers (4-0, 4-0 ATS, 3-1 O/U) take on the North Carolina Tar Heels (3-2, 0-4-1 ATS 2-3 O/U) in an ACC showdown on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers remained undefeated after a win against Youngstown State. The Tar Heels are 3-2 including a home defeat against Duke. North Carolina posted a 41-24 road win in the previous meeting last season.
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Pittsburgh Remains Undefeated
The Pittsburgh Panthers are enjoying a marvelous start to the season. Pittsburgh has won all four games. They were the dogs in two of them. The squad posted a 38-34 home win against West Virginia in week three and collected a dominating 73-17 win against Youngstown State in week four in a bout that had the Panthers as huge 28-point favorites. The Panthers have covered the spread in all four games.
Eli Holstein is having a dominating season. The freshman QB has reached at least 300 passing yards in three of four games. He has amassed at least three passing TDs in each game and accumulated 1183 passing yards complemented by a 12:2 TD to INT ratio.
The rushing offense has also been dangerous. Desmond Reid has reached 100 yards on two occasions and leads the squad with 319 rushing yards. Konata Mumpfield has made at least five receptions in all but one game. The senior WR has brought in 315 receiving yards. The Pittsburgh offense is averaging 522 total yards and has scored at least 38 points in three of four bouts.
The Panthers' defense has not been as solid as the offense. They have contained the weak competition but were shaky against Cincinnati And West Virginia. The group squandered 310 yards against Youngstown State which does not play in the FBS. The pass defense needs work, ranking 93rd, while the rush defense has been solid, placing 35th.
Pittsburgh is averaging 48.5 points, ranking them fifth. They are conceding an average of 25.5 points, pegging them 81st.
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North Carolina Dealt Loss in ACC Opener
The North Carolina Tar Heels are seeking their fourth victory. North Carolina had a rather easy portion of its non-conference schedule. They beat Minnesota in the opener. North Carolina was dealt a 70-50 defeat by James Madison in week three and hit with a narrow 21-20 road defeat against Duke to begin ACC play last week. They were marked as 1.5-point favorites in that one. The Tar Heels have covered in just one game this season.
Conner Harrell and Jacolby Criswell are at QB. Max Johnson is the #1 QB but is injured and out for the remainder of the season. Harrell has 275 passing yards and Criswell has seen most of the playing time. He recorded 250 passing yards last week and has issued 889 passing yards and a 6:3 TD-to-INT ratio. North Carolina will run heavily. Omarion Hampton is capable of big numbers. The junior RB has posted at least 120 yards in three of five games and has generated 658 rushing yards. The receiving core is solid. J.J. Jones issued 86 receiving yards two weeks ago and collected 89 receiving yards last week. The senior WR has yielded 265 receiving yards on the season.
The Tar Heels' defense was outstanding in the opening three games, conceding 20 or fewer points but has been shaky since. They gave up 50 points against James Madison. The group had no answer for the run against Duke last week and gave up 396 total yards. The pass defense is pegged 95th while the rush defense is 53rd.
North Carolina is scoring an average of 34.4 points, good for 38th. They are conceding an average of 27.6 points, positioning them 93rd.
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Best Bets for Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina (UNC)
Full-Game Side Bet
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The Pittsburgh Panthers are 4-0 on the season but have only played one game against a power conference squad. They have been involved in close games. Two of their four wins were by four or fewer points. The North Carolina Tar Heels are 2-2 including a win against Minnesota and only lost by one point on the road against Duke in their ACC opener last week.
Furthermore, Pittsburgh is not a dangerous defensive squad and will give up points. North Carolina is averaging 455 total yards and a solid 247 passing yards per game. This is ideal considering the Panthers rank 93rd in the country in pass defense. Also, Pittsburgh has one of the best running backs in the entire ACC in Omarion Hampton. He has collected 658 rushing yards. I expect another monster game by Hampton to lead the Tar Heels to a home victory.
Prediction: North Carolina Tar Heels +3
Full-Game Total Pick
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I expect plenty of points. Pittsburgh has dominated the competition, averaging 522 total yards. Pittsburgh will pass more than run and the Tar Heels have a weak pass defense. This is a defense that gave up 70 points against James Madison.
In addition, North Carolina has a quick offense, ranking 15th in plays per game. They have been hard to contain at home, scoring at least 38 points in all three home bouts. The Panthers will give up points, conceding at least 24 points in three of four games. North Carolina collected 405 yards last week which is a good sign heading into this one. The over is 4-1 in the Panthers' previous five games.
Prediction: Over 65
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