Panthers vs Tar Heels Preview

North Carolina Tar HeelsPittsburgh Panthers
4-5November 16, 2013, 12:30 | Heinz Field5-4


Heinz Field features a battle between the host Pittsburgh Panthers and the visiting North Carolina Tar Heels in betting action Saturday.

They bring a 5-4 record (3-5-1 ATS) to the Week 12 battle against the 4-5 Tar Heels, who are 5-4 ATS against the spread. Over under bettors have seen Pittsburgh go 3-6 so far and the Tar Heels go 2-7.

View North Carolina Tar Heels vs Pittsburgh Panthers Odds and Stats.

Fans backing the Panthers here saw them open at Sportsbook as 0-point in this college football clash. (Check back shortly for Sportsbook totals at sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark as none was available at the time this preview was written.)

The OddsShark Power Rankings have the Panthers at No. 64 and the Tar Heels at No. 56 heading into this contest. Handicapping models project a 26-25 result in favor of the Tar Heels.



Last time out for North Carolina, they were a 45-14 Sportsbook as they battled Virginia at home. North Carolina covered in the match as a 12-point favorite, while 59 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. The Panthers grabbed a Week 11 victory over the Fighting Irish in their last game, winning 28-21 at Heinz Field.

How They Match Up:
The game also pits Pittsburgh's No. 80-ranked offense, averaging 26.33 PPG, against a Tar Heels defense that ranks No. 55 this week at 25.22 PPG. The Panthers aerial game is averaging 225.56 yards per game, more than the Tar Heels secondary allows through the air, 217.22 YPG per game.

Defensively, the Tar Heels feature the league's No. 92-rated road run defense, allowing 203 yards per game. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, ranks No. 87 in rushing offense at home.

A few Tar Heels at Panthers trends to consider:
North Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of North Carolina's last 5 games
North Carolina is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
North Carolina is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games at home


Next up:
North Carolina at Old Dominion, Saturday, November 23rd
Pittsburgh at Syracuse, Saturday, November 23rd
Back to Top