The Northern Iowa Panthers (0-2) travel to face off against the North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0) on Wednesday, November 22nd. This game will be played at Imperial Arena in Nassau and televised on ESPN. North Carolina is coming off a win in their previous game, while Northern Iowa is looking to get back on track from a loss to the South Florida. Tip-off is set for 12:00 ET.
Northern Iowa Panthers vs North Carolina Tar Heels
The Northern Iowa Panthers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
After losing their most recent game to South Florida (74-65), the Panthers are 0-2 on the season. In both of their games, the Panthers were favored to win. In terms of ATS performance, Northern Iowa is currently 0-2 heading into today’s game. Taking into account their results from last season, Northern Iowa has gone 3-6 against the spread in their last ten games.
So far, Northern Iowa’s games have averaged 149.5 points per game with the average over/under line being 136.8 points. The Panthers have seen their last five games conclude with a collective average of 74 points per game and an over/under record of 3-1.
The North Carolina Tar Heels Are Coming Off A Win
North Carolina will be playing their fourth game of the season with a perfect 3-0 record. In the previous three games where they were favored, they went 3-0. In terms of North Carolina’s ATS performance, they currently stand at 1-2 heading into today’s matchup. Taking a closer look at their performance in the past three games, they hold a 1-2 ATS record with an average scoring margin of +17.
In three games, North Carolina comes in with an over/under mark of 1-2-0, with their games averaging 147.7 points per game. Over the course of the last five games, the Tar Heels’ games have averaged 79 points per game, along with an over/under record of 2-3.
Northern Iowa Offense Breakdown
Most recently, the Northern Iowa offense finished with just 65 points vs. South Florida. For the game, they hit 5/28 three-point attempts and a field goal percentage of 39.3%. Nate Heise is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 14.3. Meanwhile, Tytan Anderson also brings a PPG average of 11.3 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Heise (G) | 14.3 | 6.3 | 3.3 |
| Tytan Anderson (G) | 11.3 | 4.7 | 2.0 |
| Jacob Hutson (C) | 11.0 | 5.3 | 1.0 |
North Carolina Offense Breakdown
Compared to their season average of 84.3 points per game, North Carolina struggled in their previous game. Against UC Riverside, the Tar Heels scored 77 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 45.9%. Armando Bacot is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 22.7. Meanwhile, RJ Davis also brings a PPG average of 14.3 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armando Bacot (F) | 22.7 | 13.3 | 1.0 |
| RJ Davis (G) | 14.3 | 3.3 | 2.3 |
| Harrison Ingram (F) | 12.0 | 6.7 | 1.7 |
Northern Iowa Team Defense
Currently, the Panthers’ defense holds the 83rd rank in the nation, allowing 69.0 points per game. In their previous game vs. South Florida, the Bulls finished with a field goal percentage of 47% and a total of 74 points vs. Northern Iowa.
North Carolina Team Defense
At present, the Tar Heels’ defense is nationally ranked 43rd, allowing 63.3 points per game. The North Carolina defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 52 points and allowed UC Riverside to connect on 6 threes.
Panthers vs Tar Heels Trends
- Across the Panthers last five road games, the team averaged 68 points per game while allowing 76. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 1-4 straight-up.
- In their last five games at home, the Tar Heels have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 1-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 70 points per game in these contests.
- As the betting underdog, the Panthers have an ATS mark of just 1-4 in their last five games. Northern Iowa posted a straight up mark of 0-5 in these matchups.
- In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Tar Heels have a straight up record of 4-1, while going 2-3 against the spread.
Panthers vs Tar Heels Prediction
For a point-spread wager in this Tar Heels vs. Tar Heels game, we suggest taking the Tar Heels at -12.5. Even though our predictions have the Tar Heels winning 76-66, we see the Panthers as the better choice on the point-spread.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 147.5 and our model has the Panthers and Tar Heels finishing with a combined 142 points. Our pick is to take the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:November 22, 2023 North Carolina Tar Heels, Northern Iowa Panthers, Teams