Pitt vs. UNC odds, pick: It's been fun for Panthers, but it's time to go

Pitt vs. UNC Odds

Friday, March 15, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute NCAAB odds here.

Pitt Panthers

You have to credit Jeff Capel for putting Pittsburgh in a position to potentially make the NCAA Tournament.

Pitt fell to 1-5 in ACC play on Jan. 16 after losing to Syracuse, and any chance of postseason play felt far-fetched. Yet, the Panthers finished the regular season with 21 wins, going 12-8 in ACC play and downing Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

Pitt let a 19-point lead slip away, as Wake chipped its deficit to three with around four minutes left. But then Pitt's Ishmael Leggett took over. Leggett scored 30 points off the bench, which is a welcome sight for Capel, who needs more guard scoring.

Pittsburgh can flip the script of a game with its shooting ability. The Panthers attempt 3s on 44% of their field-goal attempts, connecting on 35% of those shots.

Blake Hinson is Pitt's heart and soul. He leads the team with 18.6 points while shooting 42% from 3 and makes some difficult shots from long range.

Additionally, the Panthers excel in two other pivotal areas: rebounding (top-15 in rebound rate) and ball control (13% turnover rate.)  Two of Pitt's guards, Leggett and Carlton Carrington, contribute on the glass with over five rebounds per game.

While Pitt usually finds success in those areas as a team, Hinson really struggled in the first meeting against UNC. Why? Harrison Ingram.

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North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina put on a clinic against Florida State on Thursday, cruising to a huge 92-67 win over the Seminoles.

The Heels cracked 1.26 PPP while holding the opposition to only 0.92 PPP. That's a winning formula and shows just how dominant UNC can be when both sides are locked in.

Plus, Ingram could limit Hinson again here. He won't fall victim to Hinson's shot-fakes or any of the maneuvers he typically uses to stifle opponents.

Ingram is one of the key reasons for North Carolina's defensive resurgence, helping this unit rank fifth in defensive efficiency.

Along with Ingram, North Carolina needs big man Armando Bacot to establish himself early. Bacot's a matchup nightmare for the Panthers, who only have one true rim protector in the rotation.

If Federiko Federiko gets in foul trouble for Pitt, it'll put a lot on the plates of  Zack Austin and Guillermo Diaz Graham. Bacot scored 16 points with seven rebounds in UNC's win over Pitt in January.

RJ Davis also asserted his dominance against FSU, scoring 18 points on efficient shooting. Along with the speedy Elliot Cadeau, they form a terrifying guard tandem.

They've impressed over the past couple of weeks, as Cadeau dished out six assists despite FSU's defensive pressure while Davis is a sure-fire All-American who secured ACC Player of the Week this past week.

The Heels will look to push the tempo against Pitt, which plays at a slower pace. North Carolina ranks top-50 in adjusted tempo, compared to Pittsburgh's ranking of 288th.

Pitt vs. North Carolina

Betting Pick & Prediction

While Pitt is a fun story, North Carolina will put the NCAA Tournament hopeful on a one-way ticket to the NIT.

The Heels should control the pace, which is a serious problem for the Panthers, who want to avoid this game turning into a track meet.

You also wonder if Pitt's jumpers will lose some lift as the game progresses. It played a very tightly contested game on Thursday, while UNC coasted in the second half.

Pick: North Carolina -7 (Play to -8)