ACC teams looking to make a move up the conference standings meet up on Saturday when the North Carolina Tar Heels travel to Petersen Events Center to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers at noon ET. The Tar Heels are having a historically poor season by their standards, going just 8-8 overall and sitting at 1-4 in ACC play. Pittsburgh is 11-6 overall with a 2-4 ACC mark. The latest North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh odds show the Panthers as 3.5-point home favorites, down a point from the opening line, while the over-under is set at 136. Before locking in any Pitt vs. UNC picks, see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has crushed its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread the past three years, returning $2,770 to $100 players. Anybody who followed it during that span has seen huge returns.
Now, it has simulated UNC vs. Pittsburgh 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
The model has factored in that UNC has been devastated by injuries this season, none bigger than Cole Anthony. The likely 2020 NBA Draft lottery pick has been out since December with a knee injury, and while there's been some speculation that he could shut it down for the season, he recently said he's planning to return to UNC at some point this year. He won't, however, be on the floor Saturday.
UNC enters Saturday having lost three straight and seven of nine. It has struggled mightily against the spread as well, going just 4-12 against the number.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has also struggled recently. The Panthers have dropped three of their last four, but their only win in that span was a 73-65 road win over UNC where they easily stayed within the spread as five-point underdogs. They have a balanced attack that features four players who average in double figures.
Guards Trey McGowens (13.8 ppg) and Xavier Johnson (11.7 ppg) lead the way, and both were huge factors against UNC in the last outing with McGowens scoring 24 points and Johnson adding 17. Guard Justin Champagnie added a season-high 22 points in that victory. Pitt is 9-8 against the spread overall this season.
So who wins North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
