The Pittsburgh Panthers (12-6) travel to face off against the Syracuse Orange (9-10) on Saturday, January 25th. This game will be played at JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse and televised on ESPN2. Both Pittsburgh and Syracuse will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:30 ET.

Pittsburgh Panthers vs Syracuse Orange

The Panthers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Pittsburgh Panthers Recent Game/Games

Pittsburgh’s season record fell to 12-6 after a narrow 78-75 home loss to Clemson on Saturday. The Panthers, who were -3.5 favorites, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 153 exceeded the O/U line of 142.5.

Pitt trailed 40-30 at halftime but tightened up defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 26 points while scoring 36. Despite the strong finish, they couldn’t complete the comeback.

The Orange Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Syracuse fell to 9-10 on the season after an 86-72 road loss to Clemson on Wednesday. The Orange came into the game as +16 underdogs but managed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 158, surpassing the O/U line of 139.5.

Syracuse struggled early, trailing 48-29 at halftime. They fought back in the second half, outscoring Clemson 43-38, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Pittsburgh’s offense put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 45.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 54.8%. They hit 11 threes at a 32.4% clip and were strong inside, making 60.7% of their two-point attempts. At the free-throw line, they connected on 8 of 10 shots, finishing at 80%.

Chase Hunter led the way with 20 points, hitting 5 of 9 from deep, while Ishmael Leggett added 18 points, shooting 57.1% from three. Cameron Corhen was perfect from the field, going 7 for 7. Ian Schieffelin contributed 11 rebounds and 15 points, and the Panthers grabbed 14 offensive boards as a team, with 17 assists overall.

Orange Offense Breakdown

Syracuse’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, shooting 53.8% from the field and 52.4% from beyond the arc, finishing with an effective field goal percentage of 65.4%. J.J. Starling led the way with 25 points, hitting 5 of 10 from deep, while Chase Hunter added 23 points, connecting on 4 of 7 three-point attempts.

Viktor Lakhin contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 2 of 4 from three-point range. The Orange had just 8 assists as a team and grabbed 5 offensive rebounds, with Eddie Lampkin Jr. adding 14 points and 9 boards.

Panthers Team Defense

Even with Pittsburgh’s defense giving up 78 points, they managed to limit the damage from the free-throw line, where the opposing team shot just 10 free throws, making 8. The Panthers allowed 28 field goals on 62 attempts, with the other team shooting 45% overall.

Inside the arc, Pittsburgh’s defense struggled, giving up 17 two-point baskets on 28 attempts for 60% shooting. From three-point range, the opposition hit 11 of 34 shots, shooting 32%. Pittsburgh also allowed 14 offensive rebounds.

Orange Team Defense

Despite Pittsburgh giving up 78 points, they did manage to limit their opponent’s three-point shooting, holding them to 32% from beyond the arc on 11 made threes. However, they struggled to contain two-point attempts, allowing a 60% shooting rate on 28 shots.

The Panthers sent their opponent to the free-throw line just 10 times, where they converted 8 attempts. Pittsburgh also allowed 14 offensive rebounds, contributing to their defensive challenges in this game.

Panthers vs Orange Trends

• Although Pittsburgh has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 0-3. The team averaged 60 points per game in these games.
• Syracuse has a 1-2 record in their last three home games. In this stretch, they averaged 75 points per game while allowing 82. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
• Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Syracuse has an ATS mark of 2-1 while going 1-2 straight up.
• The last three games that Pittsburgh was favored, they have an ATS mark of 0-3 while going 0-3 straight up.

Panthers vs Orange Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +6.5, the Orange is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 151.5, and our model predicts the Panthers and Orange to score a combined 145 points. We recommend betting on 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.