The California Golden Bears (7-5) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Panthers (10-2) on Wednesday, January 1st. This game will be played at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh and televised on ACCN. Pittsburgh is coming off a win in their previous game, while California is looking to get back on track from a loss to the San Diego State. Tip-off is set for 2:00 ET.

California Golden Bears vs Pittsburgh Panthers

The Golden Bears Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

California Golden Bears Recent Game/Games

The Golden Bears dropped to 7-5 on the season after a 71-50 home loss to San Diego State on Saturday. Entering the game as +5.5 point underdogs, Cal not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

Cal trailed 25-16 at halftime and allowed 46 points in the 2nd half while scoring 34. The game’s total points of 121 fell short of the 144.5 O/U line.

The Panthers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Pittsburgh improved to 10-2 on the season with a 110-78 victory over Sam Houston on Saturday. The Panthers, playing at home, were -17 point favorites going into the game and covered the spread. The total points for the game reached 188, surpassing the over/under line of 151.5.

Pittsburgh led 52-40 at halftime and tightened up defensively in the second half, allowing just 38 points while scoring 58 of their own.

Golden Bears Offense Breakdown

California’s offense struggled mightily in their last game, managing just 50 points on 25.5% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 29.1%, with two-point shooting at 29% and three-point shooting at 20.8% (5/24). They did hit 81% of their free throws, going 17/21 from the line.

Nick Boyd was a bright spot, hitting 5 of 8 threes and finishing with 17 points and 3 rebounds. The Golden Bears had just 4 assists as a team, but did grab 16 offensive rebounds. Jeremiah Wilkinson added 13 points and 6 rebounds, despite missing all 7 of his three-point attempts.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Pittsburgh’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 110 points with a field goal percentage of 58.5%. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 70.8%, thanks in part to hitting 51.6% of their threes (16/31) and 64.7% of their two-point attempts (22/34).

Cameron Huefner led the way with 26 points, while Zack Austin and Ishmael Leggett each added 23 points, shooting 66.7% from the field. Jaland Lowe contributed 18 points and dished out 11 assists, as the Panthers finished with 23 assists as a team.

Golden Bears Team Defense

Even with a strong defensive effort, California couldn’t hold off their opponent, allowing 71 points despite limiting them to just 25% shooting from the field. The Golden Bears were particularly effective inside, where they held their opponent to 29% shooting on two-point attempts (9/31).

From beyond the arc, California’s defense held their opponent to 20% shooting, as they connected on only 5 of 24 three-point attempts. However, California sent their opponent to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 17 of those attempts (81%). The Golden Bears also gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

Panthers Team Defense

Even with 16 offensive rebounds allowed, California’s defense held strong, giving up just 71 points on 25% shooting. They limited their opponent to 29% from two-point range, with just 9 made field goals inside the arc.

From three-point range, California’s defense was effective, holding their opponent to 5/24 shooting, or 20%. The Golden Bears did send their opponent to the line 21 times, where they converted 17 free throws at an 81% rate.

Golden Bears vs Panthers Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, California has an ATS mark of 6-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 3-7 while averaging 73 points per game.
• When looking at their past three home matchups, Pittsburgh has an ATS record of 1-2 while averaging 70 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Golden Bears have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-1.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Panthers have gone 7-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 9-1.

Golden Bears vs Panthers Prediction

In this Panthers vs. Panthers matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Panthers at -13.5. While we project the Panthers to win 79-67, our recommendation is to bet on the Golden Bears for the point-spread.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 154 and our model has the Golden Bears and Panthers finishing with a combined 146 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.