Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina Prediction, Picks & Odds: College Basketball Picks Today (Feb. 14)
The Panthers look to get out of last place in the ACC when they face No. 11 North Carolina as I make my Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina prediction.
The Tar Heels are 10.5-point betting favorites in a game that tips from the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. at 2 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Pittsburgh aims to snap a four-game losing streak, but I am backing North Carolina to play with a sense of urgency after losing to an unranked Miami squad earlier this week. And while Tar Heels leading scorer Caleb Wilson will miss his first game with a fractured hand, that should open up more scoring possibilities for Henri Veesaar.
🏀 Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina predictions
See our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds.
| Prediction | Best odds | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina -10.5 | -114 via FanDuel | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Over 143.5 | -110 via FanDuel | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Henri Veesaar Over 16.5 points | -128 via FanDuel | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
💰 Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina best bet: North Carolina -10.5 (-114)
Check out all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.
I’m giving North Carolina a pass for losing to a desperate Miami squad coached by Jai Lucas, who had plenty of familiarity with the Tar Heels’ personnel after serving as a Duke assistant for several years.
Pittsburgh barely covered as 18-point home underdogs to Duke this week, after limiting the Blue Devils to just eight free throw attempts. But the rebounding disparity in that game (minus-14) is concerning, and the Tar Heels entered their last game against Miami as one of nine teams that overperformed their season norm in each of their five-plus previous games against D-I opposition.
Score prediction: North Carolina 79, Pittsburgh 66
🔥 Best Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina player prop: Henri Veesaar, North Carolina, Over 16.5 points (-128)
North Carolina’s offense often ran through fellow frontcourt mate Caleb Wilson, whose 28.5 usage rate ranked 97th among all D-I players. While Wilson set a UNC record by scoring in double figures in all 24 games this season, I expect Henri Veesaar to carry much more of the scoring load with Wilson out with a fractured hand.
North Carolina was undone against Miami by poor shooting from Seth Trimble and Derek Dixon, who combined for six points on 1-of-14 shooting. That should put even more emphasis on pounding the ball inside and exposing Pittsburgh’s lack of interior depth.
📊 Live Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina odds
📈 Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina betting trends
| Pittsburgh | Statistic | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| 9-16 | W-L record | 19-5 |
| 10-15 | ATS record | 13-11 |
| 13-12 | O/U record | 11-13 |
| 1-4 | Last 5 games | 4-1 |
📺 How to watch Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 14
- Tipoff: 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Dean E. Smith Center (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
- TV: ESPN
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