The West Virginia Mountaineers (2-0) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Panthers (3-0) on Friday, November 15th. 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 8:00 ET.

West Virginia Mountaineers vs Pittsburgh Panthers

The Mountaineers Are Coming Off A Win

West Virginia opened their season with a 75-69 win over UMass on Friday, November 8th. The Mountaineers, who were -9 point favorites at home, didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 144, falling short of the 153.5 O/U line.

West Virginia looked dominant early, leading 45-28 at halftime. However, they allowed UMass to score 41 points in the 2nd half while only putting up 30 points themselves, making the game closer than expected.

The Panthers Are Coming Off A Win

Pittsburgh took care of business at home on Monday, defeating Gardner-Webb 83-64. The Panthers were -19.5 favorites going into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game ended up at 147, just under the O/U line of 149.

Pitt jumped out to a 38-23 lead by halftime, but Gardner-Webb made things more competitive in the 2nd half, scoring 41 points. The Panthers put up 45 points in the 2nd half to secure the win.

Mountaineers Offense Breakdown

West Virginia’s offense put up 75 points in their last game, shooting just 37.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 44.8%. They hit 8 of 23 from beyond the arc, shooting 34.8%, and connected on 25 of 29 free throws for an 86.2% rate. The Mountaineers grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and dished out 12 assists.

Rahsool Diggins led the way with 19 points, hitting 4 of 11 from three-point range. Tucker DeVries added 17 points, knocking down 3 of 5 from deep and grabbing 8 rebounds. Daniel Rivera and Daniel Hankins-Sanford were efficient, with Rivera shooting 5 of 7 and Hankins-Sanford hitting 6 of 9, while also pulling down 11 boards.

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 hit 61.1% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 30% of their threes (9/30). At the free-throw line, the Panthers were efficient, making 12 of 15 attempts for 80%.

Ishmael Leggett led the way, scoring 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, and added 6 rebounds and 4 assists. The Panthers recorded 18 assists as a team, with Damian Dunn contributing 5 assists along with 12 points. They also grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Mountaineers Team Defense

West Virginia’s defense held their opponent to 69 points on 37% shooting from the field, including 40% on two-point attempts (14/35). They also limited three-point damage, with the opposition hitting 8 of 23 from beyond the arc, good for 34%.

At the free-throw line, West Virginia’s opponent capitalized on their opportunities, making 25 of 29 attempts for 86%. The Mountaineers also gave up 12 offensive rebounds in the game.

Panthers Team Defense

West Virginia’s defense held their opponent to 69 points, allowing them to shoot just 37% from the field on 22 of 58 attempts. Inside the arc, the Mountaineers limited their opponent to 40% shooting, with 14 made two-pointers out of 35 attempts.

From three-point range, West Virginia’s defense gave up 8 threes on 23 attempts, a 34% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 29 times, where they converted 25 free throws, shooting 86%. The Mountaineers allowed 12 offensive rebounds in the game.

Mountaineers vs Panthers Trends

• Across their last five road contests, West Virginia has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 0-5, while averaging 72 points per game.
• 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.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Mountaineers have a straight up record of 0-5. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.
• The Panthers have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread.

Mountaineers vs Panthers Prediction

The Panthers is our pick to not only win with a projected score of 78-68. But we also favor them to cover the spread. Our bet is on the Panthers at -6.5.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 148.5 and our model has the Mountaineers and Panthers finishing with a combined 146 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.