UNC Looks to Stay Perfect in ACC Play
The No. 21 North Carolina Tar Heels try to stay perfect in conference play when they host the Pittsburgh Panthers for an ACC showdown on Saturday night. North Carolina has won three in a row and is atop the ACC’s Coastal Division by 1½ games over Georgia Tech and Duke.
Pittsburgh has dropped two of its last three, including a loss at Louisville on Saturday, and is two games behind the Tar Heels in the Coastal Division. This is a key game for both teams, so make sure you read our in-depth preview of the contest before you do your betting online.
Let’s check the latest college football odds, stats, injury reports and college football lines for Pittsburgh vs North Carolina. We’ve plenty of NCAA football odds for you to consider.
Pittsburgh Offense Not Running Smoothly
Pittsburgh had its troubles against Louisville last weekend, managing just 10 points in a 24-10 setback. For the fourth time in five games, quarterback Kedon Slovis failed to pass for 200 yards and he threw two interceptions in the contest, giving him five on the season.
The senior transfer from USC has thrown for 1,325 yards and five touchdowns, but he’s struggled over the last couple of games, completing just 31 of 57 attempts for 328 yards.
An offensive high point of the loss to Louisville was the running of junior Israel Abanikanda, who rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown. Abanikanda had an unbelievable game against Virginia Tech on Oct. 8, going for 320 yards and six touchdowns. He has 959 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season, ranking fourth in the country in rushing yards.
The Panthers’ defense will be put to the test against North Carolina. Pittsburgh has been strong on that side of the ball, even in defeats. The Panthers are allowing 25.9 points per game and have been stout against the run, giving up 124.9 yards per game on the ground.
North Carolina Not Satisfied
North Carolina may be atop the Coastal Division and unbeaten in league play, but the Tar Heels aren’t resting on their laurels. Even after a win over rival Duke on Oct. 15, head coach Mack Brown was looking to the team to improve even more.
“We’ve still got so many things we can fix,” Brown said after the win over Duke. “We can play so much better. That’s the fun part of this team. There’s an upside here that we haven’t scratched.”
Quarterback Drake Maye has been playing pretty well in his freshman campaign, throwing for 2,283 yards (eighth in the country) and 24 touchdowns (second in the nation). Maye had 380 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Duke, including the game-winning toss in the final seconds.
Maye has also been a running threat, leading North Carolina with 378 yards on the ground. Running back Omarion Hampton is just behind him, rushing for 345 yards and a team-best six touchdowns.
Junior Josh Downs has been the recipient of many of Maye’s passes, making 37 receptions for 425 yards and five touchdowns.
Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Game Injuries
Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Head-To-Head
The last two matchups between these conference rivals have been tight, with Pittsburgh edging North Carolina in overtime in each one in 2019 and 2021. Despite their current two-game winning streak, the Panthers trail in the all-time series, 10-5.
North Carolina has been dominant against Pittsburgh when playing at home, taking six of the seven meetings in Chapel Hill, including a three-point win in 2018. The college football lines for Saturday’s game are giving a slight edge to the Tar Heels to come away with another home victory.
Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Game Information
- Game: Pittsburgh (4-3, 1-2 ACC) vs North Carolina (6-1, 3-0 ACC)
- Location: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC
- Day/Time: Saturday, Oct. 29, 8 p.m. ET
- Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Live Stream: ESPN
Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Betting Lines
Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Prediction
Pittsburgh has been struggling of late, but they play North Carolina tight, with each of the last 10 meetings between these teams being one-score affairs. This one will be close as well, but we like the Tar Heels to come away with the win.
When doing your college football betting, take North Carolina to win and cover at home.
“The odds and predictions in the article are based on time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.”
Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Trends
Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Edge
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Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Game Summary
