North Carolina vs Pittsburgh NCAA Football Game Picks 11/14/2019

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Heinz Field

Kenny Pickett and the Pittsburgh Panthers play the North Carolina Tar Heels at Heinz Field on Thursday, November 14, 2019. North Carolina opens this matchup as 6-point underdogs. The Tar Heels are 5-4-0 ATS and 5-4-0 when betting on the total. The Panthers are 2-7-0 when wagering on the over/under and 6-3-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the North Carolina Tar Heels played the Virginia Cavaliers and were beaten 38-31. Javonte Williams led the team in rushing for that game. He tore off a long run of 21 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He rushed for a total of 98 yards via 16 carries which means he ran for an average of 6.1 yards per run. Dyami Brown was the receiving yardage leader by earning 202 yards on 6 catches. He notched an average of 33.7 yards per catch for that game. Running the show from under center for the Tar Heels was Sam Howell who went 15/29 with 353 yards through the air and completed 4 TD's. He finished the game without throwing an interception. The Tar Heels ran the football 39 times and racked up a total of 186 yards earning them an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Overall, the Tar Heels racked up a total of 25 first downs and they had 6 penalties for 46 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. In all, they ran 68 plays for 539 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, North Carolina allowed 31 catches on 40 attempts for a total of 383 yards, and a completion percentage of 77.5%. On the day, they allowed 517 yards but finished the game without a turnover. On the ground, the Tar Heels allowed 134 yards on 32 carries which means they had an average of 4.2 yards per run allowed.

The Tar Heels step onto the field holding a record of 4-5 in 2019. For total yards, they currently sit at 6th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 46th in the country with 4,013 yards. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation with an average of 27.9 points per game, putting them 76th in the country. As a unit, they are averaging 168.4 yards on the ground per game which is 6th in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tar Heels have one of the middle tier defenses in the country, allowing 27.1 points per contest which has them at 6th in the conference. When it comes to rushing yards, North Carolina is giving up 161.4 yards per game which has them at 8th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 67th in Division 1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.3 yards per carry putting them 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 69th in the nation overall. In total, they have allowed 1,453 yards rushing through 9 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Tar Heels have allowed 2,497 yards. Opponents are completing 62.4% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.5 yards per try.

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In their last game, the Pittsburgh Panthers took on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and ended up getting the victory by a score of 20-10. Running the show from under center for the Panthers was Kenny Pickett who went 25/34 with 204 yards passing and added 1 touchdown. He gave away 2 picks in the game. A.J. Davis paced the team in rushing for the game. He had a long run of 9 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He scurried for 75 yards on 16 carries which meant he was running for 4.7 yards per carry. Maurice Ffrench was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 71 yards on 11 receptions. He earned an average of 6.5 yards per reception for the game. The Panthers ran the ball 36 times and earned 158 yards which gave them an average of 4.4 yards per carry. In the game, the Panthers racked up 18 1st downs and they had 6 penalties for 50 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In all, they finished with a total of 70 plays which added up to 362 yards. In terms of defense, Pittsburgh conceded 8 completions on 21 throws totaling 108 yards, and a completion percentage of 38.1%. Against the run, the Panthers conceded 86 yards on 29 attempts which is an average of 3.0 yards per rushing attempt allowed. On the day, they conceded a total of 194 yards and earned 2 takeaways.

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The Panthers come into this matchup with a record of 6-3. Pittsburgh is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 130.9 rushing yards per game, putting them 106th in Division 1. As a unit, they have a total of 1,178 yards rushing through 9 contests, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Panthers average 380 yards per contest overall which has them at 86th in D-1 and 10th in the conference. The Panthers are giving up 20.1 points per game ranking them 3rd in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 24th in college football. When talking about points given up, they have allowed 181 points in total. In terms of yards on the ground, they are giving up 85.9 yards per contest ranking them 6th in the country and 1st in the ACC. For 2019, they have given up a total of 773 rushing yards and 9 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense is one of the best units in the nation. They are allowing 194.3 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Panthers sit in 3rd in the conference.

Who will win tonight's Tar Heels/Panthers college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Panthers -6

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