The Pittsburgh Panthers (7-2) travel to face off against the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-5) on Saturday, December 7th. This game will be played at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg and televised on ESPNU. Both Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 ET.

Pittsburgh Panthers vs Virginia Tech Hokies

The Panthers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Pittsburgh’s season record dropped to 7-2 after a 90-57 loss to Mississippi State on Wednesday. The Panthers were +6 underdogs going into the game and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 147, just under the O/U line of 150.

Pittsburgh fell behind early, trailing 47-25 at halftime. They managed 32 points in the second half but allowed 43, leading to the lopsided final score.

The Hokies Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Virginia Tech Hokies Recent Game/Games

Virginia Tech’s season continued to be a struggle as they fell to 3-5 after an 80-64 home loss to Vanderbilt on Wednesday. The Hokies entered the game as +6 underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 39-34 at halftime, Virginia Tech managed just 30 points in the 2nd half while allowing 41. The game’s total points of 144 fell short of the 149.5 O/U line.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Pittsburgh’s offense struggled in their last game, managing just 57 points on 31.2% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 37.5%, with two-point shooting at 31.6% and three-point shooting at 30.8% (8/26). They hit 69.2% of their free throws, going 9/13 from the line, and recorded 14 offensive rebounds and 8 assists.

KeShawn Murphy led the Panthers with 20 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 8/10 from the field. Jaland Lowe added 19 points, hitting 4/9 from three-point range, while Michael Nwoko contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 7/9 overall and hitting his only three-point attempt.

Hokies Offense Breakdown

Virginia Tech struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 38.3% from the field and 27.6% from three-point range, finishing with 64 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 45%, and they managed 14 offensive rebounds.

Jason Edwards led the Hokies with 19 points in 21 minutes, hitting 3 of 7 from beyond the arc. Jaden Schutt and MJ Collins Jr. each added 15 points, with Schutt connecting on 5 threes at a 45.5% rate.

Panthers Team Defense

Despite Pittsburgh’s defensive struggles, they allowed 90 points on 57% shooting from the field. The Panthers had a tough time containing their opponent inside, giving up 30 two-point baskets on 43 attempts, a 69% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, Pittsburgh’s defense allowed 7 three-pointers on 21 attempts, a 33% shooting percentage. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 13 times, where they made 9, shooting 69%. Pittsburgh gave up 16 offensive rebounds in the game.

Hokies Team Defense

Despite Pittsburgh’s defensive struggles, they allowed 90 points on 57% shooting from the field. The Panthers gave up 30 two-pointers on 43 attempts, a 69% success rate for their opponent.

From beyond the arc, Pittsburgh’s defense allowed 7 threes on 21 attempts, with their opponent shooting 33%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 13 times, where they made 9 free throws, shooting 69%.

Panthers vs Hokies Trends

• Pittsburgh has a 2-3 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 72 points per game while allowing 79. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
• Across the Hokies last five home games, the team averaged 69 points per game while allowing 75. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-4, while going 1-4 straight-up.
• As the betting underdog, the Hokies have an ATS mark of just 0-10 in their last ten games. Virginia Tech posted a straight up mark of 0-10 in these matchups.
• Pittsburgh has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.

Panthers vs Hokies Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +8.5, the Hokies 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.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 141.5 and given that our model is projecting 145 points between the teams, we like the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.