In their final home game of the season, the Syracuse Orange (18-9) host the Pittsburgh Panthers (18-7) at Carrier Dome. The game gets underway at 2:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 20 and will air on ES2 and ES3.
The Orange are hoping for a better outcome after their 72-58 loss to Louisville on Wednesday. Trevor Cooney was the game’s high scorer with 19 points. The Panthers are coming off a 101-96 win against Wake Forest on Tuesday. James Robinson had a big game and claimed his second double-double of the season, registering 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Pittsburgh could own the offensive glass in this matchup, as it ranks 10th in the nation in OR% at 38.3%. Conversely, Syracuse places 335th in the nation on the defensive backboards with a DR% of 65.2%.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Panthers won the first game 72-61. Jamel Artis was a top performer in the victory with 18 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and one three-pointer.
The Orange have gone 18-9 Straight Up (SU) and 13-13 Against The Spread (ATS). Teams routinely struggle to score points against the Orange, who allow only 62.2 points per home game. Syracuse’s defenders rank 27th in Division I in steals with 8.0 per game.
In the other locker room, the Panthers head into the game with records of 11-13 ATS and 18-7 SU. Pittsburgh has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 7-3. Offensively, the Panthers have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 78.7 points per game after averaging only 70.1 during that stretch. The Panthers convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking ninth in the nation at .764. Pittsburgh is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Panthers average 39.3 rebounds per game, making them the 49th-best team in the country for that category. The Panthers rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the ninth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.56. The last 10 games have really brought out the best of the Panthers on the defensive end. They’ve allowed 61.8 points per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 68.2.
In their previous meeting this season, Pittsburgh beat Syracuse, bringing its SU record in their most recent games to 6-4. Additionally, with a 7-3 record, Pittsburgh has the advantage ATS. Pittsburgh held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Syracuse never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Pitt, ATS Winner – Pitt
Notes
“Syracuse is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games “.
“Syracuse is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Syracuse’s last 7 games “.
“Syracuse is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“Syracuse is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Pittsburgh”.
“Syracuse is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games when playing Pittsburgh”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Syracuse’s last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh”.
“Syracuse is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh”.
“Syracuse is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Syracuse’s last 9 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh”.
“Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Syracuse”.
Syracuse is 8-6 against its conference rivals, while Pittsburgh is 7-6.
Pittsburgh averages 78.7 points per game this season. Syracuse is one of the best teams in points allowed, giving up just 64.7 points per game (ranked 25th).
Pittsburgh scores just 68.9 points per away game (ranked 158th). Syracuse ranks 30th in points allowed at home, giving up 62.2 points.
The Pittsburgh Panthers rank 15th for their offensive rating of 116.6. The Syracuse Orange have a defensive rating of 99.6 (ranked 96th).
Pittsburgh has an average field goal percentage of 46.4%. Syracuse is a subpar 1-6 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Syracuse Orange rank lower for their field goal percentage (253rd) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (182nd), but the Pittsburgh Panthers have a better FG% ranking (59th) than eFG% ranking (97th).
Ranked seventh in the nation, Pittsburgh has an average of 18.0 assists per game. Syracuse ranks lower at 137th with 14.0.
Syracuse ranks 92nd in blocks per game with 4.1 and Pittsburgh ranks 85th with 4.3 blocks per game.
Syracuse ranks 61st in offensive rebounding. Pittsburgh ranks 124th in defensive rebounding.
The Pittsburgh Panthers make an average of 5.0 steals per game. When the Syracuse Orange give up 4 or more steals, they are a winning 15-7.
