Pittsburgh Panthers vs West Virginia Mountaineers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our West Virginia vs Pittsburgh NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Pittsburgh.

West Virginia vs Pittsburgh Prediction

Betting on today's Mountaineers and Panthers game? Catch the action at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA, as the Panthers hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ACC. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 148.5 points, and Pittsburgh is favored by -6.5 at home against West Virginia.

West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: West Virginia Mountaineers at Pittsburgh Panthers
Where: Pittsburgh at Petersen Events Center
Date: Friday, November 15th
Betting Odds PITT -6.5, WVIR +227 | PITT -282 O/U 148.5

Mountaineers Preview: Will the Mountaineers Defense Show Up in Pittsburgh?

West Virginia opened their season with a 75-69 home win over UMass on Friday. The Mountaineers were -9 point favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 144 fell short of the 153.5 O/U line.

West Virginia looked strong in the first half, leading 45-28 at the break. However, they allowed UMass to score 41 points in the second half while only putting up 30 points themselves.

Mountaineers Offense Breakdown

West Virginia's offense put up 75 points in their last game, despite shooting just 37.9% from the field and 34.8% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.8%, but they made up for it at the free-throw line, hitting 25 of 29 attempts for an 86.2% success rate.

Rahsool Diggins led the way with 19 points, hitting 4 threes, while Tucker DeVries added 17 points and 8 rebounds, connecting on 3 of 5 from deep. Daniel Rivera and Daniel Hankins-Sanford were efficient inside, with Rivera shooting 71.4% and Hankins-Sanford 66.7%, also grabbing 11 rebounds.

Mountaineers Team Defense

West Virginia's defense held their opponent to 69 points on 37% shooting from the field. They limited two-point attempts to 40% shooting, with the opposition making 14 of 35 shots.

From beyond the arc, the Mountaineers allowed 8 threes on 23 attempts, a 34% shooting rate. Their opponent also went to the line 29 times, hitting 25 free throws for 86%.

Panthers Preview: Does Pittsburgh Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?

Pittsburgh improved to 2-0 with an 83-64 win over Gardner-Webb on Monday. The Panthers were -19.5 favorites at home but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 147, just under the O/U line of 149.

Pitt took control early, leading 38-23 at halftime. They scored 45 points in the 2nd half but allowed 41, which might be a concern for the coaching staff moving forward.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Pittsburgh put up 83 points in their last game, shooting 47% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 54.5%. They were strong inside, hitting 61.1% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, making just 30% of their threes (9/30). At the free-throw line, they connected on 80%, going 12/15.

Ishmael Leggett led the way with 21 points, shooting 77.8% overall and 75% from three (3/4), while adding 6 rebounds and 4 assists. The Panthers dished out 18 assists as a team, with Damian Dunn contributing 5 assists to go along with his 12 points. Pittsburgh also grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in the win.

Panthers Team Defense

Despite Pittsburgh's defensive efforts, they allowed 64 points on 47% shooting from the field. The Panthers struggled to contain the opposing team inside, giving up 61% shooting on two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, Pittsburgh held their opponent to 30% shooting, with 9 threes made. The Panthers also sent the other team to the line 15 times, where they converted 12 free throws at an 80% rate.

Mountaineers vs Panthers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

West Virginia has a 0-5 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 72 points per game while allowing 85. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
Across their last five home contests, Pittsburgh has a 3-1-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 69 points per game.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Mountaineers have gone 2-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-5.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Panthers have gone 9-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 10-0.