The Pittsburgh Panthers (17-4) and the Atlantic Coast’s seventh-ranked offense welcome the No. 9-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (18-4) and the sixth-ranked defense in the conference. Action begins at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 6 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Panthers enter this game hoping for similar success after dismantling Virginia Tech 90-71 in their last matchup. Sheldon Jeter was the team’s leading scorer with 23 points on 9-for-13 shooting. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are coming off a 61-47 win against Boston College in their last game. Malcolm Brogdon led the game in scoring by registering 27 points on 7-for-10 shooting.
Brogdon has been hot for the Cavaliers, averaging 21.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.6 three-pointers over the past five games.
It might turn into a shootout as a pair of the nation’s top offenses match up. Pittsburgh ranks seventh in the country with 119.0 points per 100 possessions, while Virginia is 17th in that metric (116.5).
The Panthers have gone 17-4 Straight Up (SU) and 10-10 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a solid 7-3 SU record over their last 10 games, but have not fared as well ATS (3-7). The Panthers have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 67.5 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 80.5 points per game. The Panthers are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .478 from the field. Pittsburgh is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.65. Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Pittsburgh’s stingy defense. The Panthers are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 66.4 points per game. Pittsburgh’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 6.0 three-pointers per game.
As for their opponent, the Cavaliers are unsuccessful ATS with an 8-12 record even though they have an 18-4 SU record. The Cavaliers convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking eighth in the country at .496. The Cavaliers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 18th in Division I at 1.49. The Cavaliers average 60.5 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 69.9 points per game during that span.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between the conference foes. Their previous game was a Cavaliers victory, bumping their SU record to 3-0. The Cavaliers also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 1-0-2.
Predictions: SU Winner – Pitt, ATS Winner – Pitt
Notes
“Pittsburgh is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 games “.
“Pittsburgh is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of Virginia’s last 9 games on the road”.
Pittsburgh averages 80.5 points per game this season. Virginia is one of the best teams in points allowed, giving up just 60.5 points per game (ranked sixth).
Virginia has allowed an average of 64.1 points per away game this season. Pittsburgh averages 83.4 points per home game, ranking 37th in scoring.
Pittsburgh won its last game by a 19-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Virginia is 4-0. Pittsburgh is 9-1 in blowouts this season.
The Virginia Cavaliers rank 17th for their offensive rating of 116.5. The Pittsburgh Panthers have a defensive rating of 98.8 (ranked 89th).
The Virginia Cavaliers have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking eighth in the nation with a FG% of 49.6%. The Pittsburgh Panthers are undefeated with a 2-0 record in games where opponents have a similar or higher FG%.
The Pittsburgh Panthers and the Virginia Cavaliers both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Pittsburgh is 39th and 30th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Virginia ranks 21st and eighth in these categories.
The Pittsburgh Panthers rank third in assists per game with an average of 18.8. The Virginia Cavaliers are among the worst in the country with 14.5 assists per game (ranked 109th).
Pittsburgh, the 63rd-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.5 per game. Virginia does worse, ranked 253rd with 2.8.
Pittsburgh ranks 62nd in offensive rebounding. Virginia ranks 300th in defensive rebounding.
On average, Pittsburgh forces a turnover rate of 18.0%. When Virginia turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a fantastic 6-1 record.
