Eastern Kentucky Colonels vs Pittsburgh Panthers Matchup

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

Eastern Kentucky vs Pittsburgh Prediction

Looking to win big? The Colonels and Panthers face off at 7:00 ET on ACC. The Panthers are hosting the game at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 149.5 points, and Pittsburgh is favored by -18.5 at home against Eastern Kentucky.

Eastern Kentucky vs. Pittsburgh Matchup At A Glance

  • Sport: NCAAB
  • Teams: Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Pittsburgh Panthers
  • Where: Pittsburgh at Petersen Events Center
  • Date: Wednesday, December 11th
  • Betting Odds PITT -18.5, EKENT +1300 | PITT -2750 O/U 149.5

Colonels Preview: Can the Colonels Lock in a Road Win?

Eastern Kentucky Colonels Recent Game/Games

The Colonels dropped to 3-4 on the season after an 84-74 loss to Troy on Sunday. Eastern Kentucky entered the game as +8.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 158, surpassing the O/U line of 145.5.

Eastern Kentucky trailed 41-36 at halftime and allowed 43 points in the second half while scoring 38 of their own. They’ll look to tighten up defensively as they move forward this season.

Colonels Offense Breakdown

Eastern Kentucky's offense put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 46.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 50%, thanks to a strong 62.5% shooting on two-pointers, though they struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 18.2% on 4-of-22 shooting. They also connected on 75% of their free throws, going 12-of-16 from the line.

Myles Rigsby led the way with 20 points, shooting 8-of-11 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range. Jerrell Bellamy added 18 points in just 16 minutes, hitting 5-of-7 shots, while Devontae Blanton and George Kimble III each chipped in 14 points, with Kimble dishing out 5 assists despite shooting just 5-of-16 overall and 0-of-6 from three.

Colonels Team Defense

Eastern Kentucky's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 84 points on 58% shooting from the field. The Colonels allowed their opponent to connect on 21 of 33 two-point attempts, a 63% success rate.

From beyond the arc, Eastern Kentucky's defense allowed 8 threes on 17 attempts, with their opponent shooting 47% from deep. The Colonels also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 18 free throws, shooting 90%.

Panthers Preview: Can the Panthers Lock in a Home Win?

Pittsburgh improved to 8-2 on the season with a 64-59 road win over Virginia Tech on Saturday. Despite being -8.5 favorites, the Panthers didn’t cover the spread, but they got the win. The combined points of 123 fell short of the 141.5 O/U line.

Pittsburgh turned things around in the second half, outscoring the Hokies 36-23 after trailing 36-28 at halftime. They held Virginia Tech to just 23 points in the second half while scoring 36 of their own.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Pittsburgh's offense struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 6 of 28 threes for a 21.4% shooting percentage. Overall, they shot 41.1% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 46.4%. Inside the arc, they were much more efficient, connecting on 60.7% of their two-point attempts.

Jaland Lowe led the Panthers with 19 points, while Ishmael Leggett added 17 points and 4 assists. Toibu Lawal was effective inside, shooting 60% from the field and finishing with 16 points. Jaden Schutt contributed 14 points, hitting 4 of 10 from three-point range.

Panthers Team Defense

Despite Pittsburgh's defensive efforts, they allowed 59 points on 43% shooting from the field. The Panthers gave up 15 two-point field goals on 28 attempts, a 53% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, Pittsburgh's opponents shot 32%, hitting 8 of 25 three-point attempts. The Panthers also sent them to the free-throw line 7 times, where they made 5, shooting 71%.

Colonels vs Panthers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

  • In their last five road games, Eastern Kentucky has averaged 73 points per game while allowing 75. The team's record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 3-2.
  • 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.
  • Going back to their last three games as the underdog, the Colonels have a straight up record of 1-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.
  • 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.

Eastern Kentucky vs Pittsburgh Prediction & Free Pick

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