The Sam Houston Bearkats (4-5) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Panthers (9-2) on Saturday, December 21st. This game will be played at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh and televised on ACC. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 1:00 ET.

Sam Houston Bearkats vs Pittsburgh Panthers

The Bearkats Are Coming Off A Win

Sam Houston improved to 4-5 on the season with an 87-71 win over Texas Southern on Saturday. The Bearkats were -11 favorites at home and covered the spread, while the game’s total points of 158 went over the 147.5 O/U line.

After trailing 36-32 at halftime, Sam Houston turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring the Tigers 55-35 to secure the win.

The Panthers Are Coming Off A Win

Pittsburgh Panthers Recent Game/Games

Pittsburgh improved to 9-2 on the season with a dominant 96-56 win over Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday. The Panthers, who were -18.5 point favorites, not only covered the spread but also saw the game’s total points (152) go over the pre-game line of 147.5.

After a close first half, where Pittsburgh led 39-36, they clamped down defensively in the second half, allowing just 20 points while scoring 57 of their own.

Bearkats Offense Breakdown

Sam Houston’s offense put up 87 points in their last game, shooting 47.5% from the field and 45.2% from beyond the arc, making 14 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was 59%, and they grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, with 17 assists as a team.

Lamar Wilkerson led the way with 26 points, hitting 8 of 13 threes at 61.5%. Cameron Huefner added 22 points, and Kavion McClain contributed 19 points and 5 assists.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Pittsburgh’s offense was firing on all cylinders, scoring 96 points with a 61.1% field goal percentage and an effective field goal percentage of 70.4%. They hit 71% of their two-point attempts and 47.8% from beyond the arc, connecting on 11 threes. The Panthers also shot 76% from the free-throw line and dished out 21 assists.

Brandin Cummings led the way, scoring 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including 6-of-8 from three. Jaland Lowe contributed 12 assists, while Ishmael Leggett and Devontae Blanton each grabbed 6 rebounds.

Bearkats Team Defense

Sam Houston’s defense struggled, giving up 71 points on 47% shooting from the field. They allowed 14 threes, with the opposing team hitting 45% from beyond the arc.

Inside the arc, Sam Houston gave up 15 baskets on 30 attempts. They also sent the other team to the line 24 times, where they hit 15 free throws.

Panthers Team Defense

Sam Houston’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 71 points on 47% shooting from the field. The Bearkats allowed 29 made field goals on 61 attempts.

From beyond the arc, their opponents shot 45%, hitting 14 of 31 three-point attempts. Sam Houston also sent them to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 15 free throws, shooting 62%.

Bearkats vs Panthers Trends

• Across their three previous road games, Sam Houston has an ATS mark of 0-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 64 points per game.
• In their last ten games at home, the Panthers have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 5-4-1 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 71 points per game in these contests.
• As the betting underdog, the Bearkats have an ATS mark of just 0-3 in their last three games. Sam Houston posted a straight up mark of 0-3 in these matchups.
• Through their last five games as the favorite, the Panthers have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 4-1.

Bearkats vs Panthers Prediction

When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Panthers vs. Panthers game, our recommendation is to take the Panthers at -16.5. Despite our model showing the Panthers winning 80-67, we like Bearkats as our point-spread pick.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 152.5 and our model has the Bearkats and Panthers finishing with a combined 147 points. Our pick is to take the under.

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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.