The Pittsburgh Panthers (8-14, 0-9 ACC) will attempt to put an end to their nine-game losing streak when they square off with the Miami Hurricanes (15-5, 4-4 ACC) at Watsco Center. The game begins at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018.
Miami opened as a 16.5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 131 points.
Pittsburgh Panthers at Miami Hurricanes Free Prediction
The Panthers are trying to rebound after their 60-55 loss to the Syracuse Orange in their last outing. Getting to the free throw line was one of Syracuse’s biggest strengths. They made 26 trips to the line, while Pittsburgh went just 14 times. Jared Wilson-Frame was the top scorer from either team with 18 points on 7-for-23 shooting.
In the Hurricanes’ last matchup, they lost to the Florida State Seminoles, 103-94. One of Florida State’s largest advantages was getting to the charity stripe. They had 39 free throw attempts, while Miami had just 13. Miami’s Lonnie Walker IV had a good game, leading both teams in scoring with 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
Miami could dominate on defense as they clash against one of the worst offenses in the nation. The Hurricanes currently rank 15th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.455), while Pittsburgh is 256th in effective field goal percentage (0.493).
Although Pittsburgh struggles winning games straight up (8-14 SU), they have a solid record against the spread (10-7). Vegas has a tendency to set the total high when the Panthers are involved, as 15 of their 17 games have ended under the total.
Meanwhile, Miami owns records of 15-5 SU and 7-7-1 ATS. Unlike Pittsburgh, Hurricanes games have a slight tendency to go over the O/U total (53.3 percent).
Walker IV has averaged 15.4 points and 2.0 steals over the last five games for Miami.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. Anthony Lawrence II had 12 points and six rebounds in the first matchup, in which the Hurricanes defeated the Panthers 67-53, covering as 12.5-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 120 points, which was 13 points below the projected point total of 133 points. The Hurricanes had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (32.1 vs. 15.4) and had a much better turnover percentage (20.3 vs. 26.5).
Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Miami Hurricanes Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Miami, ATS Winner – Pittsburgh, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Pittsburgh is 5-3 ATS on the road with 7 unders and 1 over.
Miami is 1-2 ATS at home with 3 overs and 0 unders.
Miami ranks 45th in assists allowed per game (11.5) while Pittsburgh ranks 178th (14.3).
The Hurricanes rank 51st in blocks per game (4.3) while the Panthers rank 161st in blocks allowed per game (4.4).
Miami ranks 127th in rebounds per game (36.3) while Pittsburgh ranks 235th (33.2).
The Hurricanes rank 75th in steals per game (7.0) while the Panthers rank 177th in steals allowed per game (7.5).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Pittsburgh is 4-1 ATS with 5 unders.
Miami is 1-4 ATS with 5 overs over their last five games.
The Panthers’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 13.0, up from 6.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Hurricanes have scored an average of 79.2 points per game (4.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 82.8 points per game (17.1 above their season average).
