North Carolina Tar Heels vs Pittsburgh Panthers Prediction, 9/23/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: North Carolina Tar Heels vs Pittsburgh Panthers

Date: Saturday, September 23, 2023

Location: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: ACCN

Odds/Point Spread: Panthers (+4)

Total/Over-Under: 50.5

The North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0) are en route to Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, September 23, 2023 where they will go up against the Pittsburgh Panthers (1-2). North Carolina opens as 4-point favorites from Vegas oddsmakers. The betting total is set at 50.5.

The North Carolina Tar Heels come into this game with a record of 3-0 this season. In their last game, the Tar Heels went up against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and went home with a win by a final score of 31-13. Drake Maye connected on 29/40 with 414 yds passing and 2 touchdowns. He had a QB rate of 165.9 and ended the game with 2 picks. Omarion Hampton was the best rusher for the Tar Heels with 13 carries for 46 yards (3.5 yds per carry). Once the final whistle blew, they had 77 plays which gave them a total of 519 yards. The North Carolina Tar Heels ended up rushing 37 times and accrued 105 yards, earning them an average of 2.8 yds per carry. On the ground, the Tar Heels gave up 170 yds on 31 tries, which averages out to 5.5 yards per rush allowed. North Carolina allowed 11 pass completions on 30 attempts for a total of 133 yds, and a completion rate of 36.7%.

The Tar Heels have tallied 1,483 total yards over the course of this year. When it comes to getting the ball in the endzone, North Carolina has compiled 4 passing touchdowns and 9 rushing touchdowns. They have turned the football over 4 times. North Carolina has accounted for 74 first downs as a unit, and they have committed 17 penalties for 156 yards. As a unit they average 197.3 yards on the ground ranking this team at 32nd in Division 1. When talking about getting in the endzone, the North Carolina Tar Heels hold an average of 34.0 points per outing.

The Tar Heels are ranked 60th in Division 1 regarding team defense, giving up 21.3 points per game. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3.7 yards per rush and 129.0 yards on the ground per game on the year. In total, they have given up 387 rushing yards through 3 games. Concerning yards through the air, the Tar Heels have given up 761 yards which puts them in 97th in D-1. They have given up 253.7 yards per game through the air and allowed a completion percentage of 56.3%. In total, they have yielded 382.7 yards/contest putting them 96th in college football. They have surrendered 2 touchdowns by air as well as 5 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Panthers come into this matchup with a record of 1-2 for this season. For their last game, the Panthers took a defeat with a final score of 17-6 when they played the West Virginia Mountaineers. Rodney Hammond Jr. ran the ball 14 times for 49 yards, ending the contest with 3.5 yards per attempt for Pittsburgh. Phil Jurkovec finished the contest with 81 yards on 8/20 through the air while his QB rating was 44. He had 3 interceptions and his Y/A was 4.1. Pittsburgh gave up 51 run attempts for 151 yards (3.0 yds per carry). The Panthers passing defense conceded a completion rate of 54.5%, relinquishing 60 yards on 6 out of 11 through the air. The Panthers finished the contest with 211 yds while they ran 56 plays (3.8 yards per play). Pittsburgh rushed for 3.6 yds per attempt, finishing with a total of 130 yds on 36 carries.

The Pittsburgh Panthers hold an average of 321.3 yards per contest, which is good for 114th in college football. The Pittsburgh offense has totaled 162 penalty yds on 21 infractions, which ranks them 39th in college football in terms of hurting your team. They have an average of 143.3 rushing yards per game and have toted the ball for 430 yards for the year. They have given away 3 picks while conceding 1 fumbles and they have earned 60 1st downs. Regarding their ability to score points, the Panthers rank 94th in college football by scoring 24.0 points per game. During the season to this point, the Panthers currently sit at 534 yards through the air in addition to an average of 178.0 passing yards per contest, ranking them 111th in the nation.

Pittsburgh has given up a total of 366 yards on the ground (122.0 yards per outing) as well as 2 touchdowns on the ground so far this season. They have yielded 4 touchdowns via the pass and 114.0 yards/outing, which has them ranked 3rd in D-1. They have tallied 2 fumbles recovered and 1 picks for the season. The Panthers defense has participated in 167 plays, which is good for 11th in college football. The Panthers are relinquishing 17.0 points per contest, which puts them 42nd in the nation. This season, they have surrendered 51 points in total.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Panthers +4

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