The Pittsburgh Panthers (9-1) square off against the Western Carolina Catamounts (4-7) at Petersen Events Center. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Dec. 23 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Panthers dismantled Davidson 94-69 on Sunday. James Robinson played a key role with 15 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. The Catamounts, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 60-52 loss to Morehead State on Sunday. Justin Browning scored 15 points and recorded 10 rebounds earning his first double-double of the season.
The Pittsburgh defense should have a clear edge in terms of eFG%. It ranks ninth in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 42.0%), while the Western Carolina offense is 304th with a mark of 46.0%.
Pittsburgh is a heavy 19-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 145 points. The Panthers have gone 9-1 Straight Up (SU) and 4-4 Against The Spread (ATS). The Panthers have no trouble scoring as they rank eighth in the nation in offense with 86.2 points per game. The Panthers are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .791 from the free throw line. Pittsburgh has an edge in the rebounding department for this game, where it racks up an average of 43.2 rebounds per game. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Pittsburgh, which ranks sixth at 1.78. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Panthers. The 62.3 points that Pittsburgh’s defense allows per game makes them the 24th-ranked defense in the country. Teams have to fight for open shots against the Panthers, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .373. The Panthers are the 39th-best team in the country at blocking shots, averaging 5.3 blocks per game.
In the other locker room, the Catamounts head into the game with records of 3-3-1 ATS and 4-7 SU. The Catamounts allow very few three-pointers on defense with 5.0 given up per game.
This game marks the first time Pittsburgh and Western Carolina have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Pitt, ATS Winner – Pitt, O/U – Over
Notes
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Pittsburgh is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home.
Western Carolina averages 72.3 points per game, placing the team just 207th in the nation. Pittsburgh ranks 24th in points allowed, giving up 62.3 points per game.
Western Carolina scores just 60.6 points per away game (ranked 309th). Pittsburgh ranks 75th in points allowed at home, giving up 61.6 points.
Ranked sixth, the Pittsburgh Panthers have an offensive rating of 124.4. The Western Carolina Catamounts rank 166th with a defensive rating of just 100.8.
The Western Carolina Catamounts average 72.4 possessions per game and .998 points per possession. The Pittsburgh Panthers earn fewer possessions with 69.3, but they score more points with 1.244.
Western Carolina has an average effective field goal percentage of 46.0%. Pittsburgh is a winning 3-1 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Pittsburgh Panthers attempt 18.0 three point field goals per game and the Western Carolina Catamounts attempt 24.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Pittsburgh is perfect (4-0), while Western Carolina has a record of 4-5.
The Pittsburgh Panthers rank sixth with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.78, while the Western Carolina Catamounts rank outside the top 100 (293rd) with an A/TO of .84.
The Pittsburgh Panthers are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 43.2 per game (ranked 13th). The Western Carolina Catamounts are outside the top 100 with 38.3 rebounds per game (ranked 125th).
The Western Carolina Catamounts rank 52nd in offensive rebounds, and the Pittsburgh Panthers rank 11th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Pittsburgh has forced an average turnover percentage of 16.6% this season. Western Carolina has a poor 3-5 record when its TO% is 16.6% or higher.
