Pitt Basketball
Five Things to Know Before Pitt at Florida State, Spread, Betting Line
Pitt men’s basketball dropped their second straight to Virginia Tech 74-47 and were never in the game.
The Panthers look to break a four-game losing streak Wednesday night in a late-night tip-off at Florida State.
Here are five things to know ahead of Pitt’s (8-16, 3-10 ACC) rematch against the Florida State Seminoles (13-9, 6-6).
Last Time Out
The Panthers were destroyed once again by Virginia Tech in the first half, trailing 35-17 after 20 minutes. Fetching a starch comeback in the second half, Pitt found a way to almost sneak away from the Petersen Events Center with a victory. The second half in Blacksburg wasn’t the same showing. V-Tech still outscored Pitt 39-30 to close out the game and sweep the Panthers.
Pitt was dominated on the glass in part to losing its fourth straight. The Panthers were out-rebounded 35-18 and a staggering 9-0 on the offensive boards. Second chance points and points in the paint for the main culprit for the poor showing, but the team never found their footing and constantly looked flat.
Femi Odukale (16) and Mouhamadou Gueye (15) were the only main scorers for Pitt totaling only 47 team points. The game marked Pitt’s lowest-scoring game of the 2021-22 season. John Hugley came off the bench, totaling two points in 21 minutes, with teams drawing loads of attention to the sophomore big.
Hugley remains Pitt’s leading scorer on the season averaging 14.2 points with Jamarius Burton (12.9) and Odukale (12.7) close behind.
Full Boat
Pitt basketball is not the only program in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas struggling to find their way in 2022. Penn State, West Virginia, RMU, and Duquesne are all in the same boat as the Panthers below .500 since the calendar flipped.
We cover five men’s basketball teams at PSN.
In 2022, they are:
PSU 4-5
RMU 3-7
Pitt 3-8 (as soon as this finishes)
WVU 2-8
Duquesne 1-6— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) February 8, 2022
Despite a down season for historically strong programs, Pitt has collapsed to the bottom of the conference standings with only three wins. The three wins the N.C. State (3-10) and Georgia Tech (3-8) for worst record. The four-game losing streak has piled onto a season many observers expected to be a struggle.
Pitt does not have multiple ways to win a tight game even against average teams. The program lacks impactful players at numerous positions, possessing solid talents who would be role players on a top-of-the-ACC team. Panther fans are not left alone in their frustration with the entire local landscape searching for answers and college basketball in a tough position to rebound.
Chopping Up the Florida State Report
The Seminoles have also lost four in a row despite a fantastic start to the conference schedule. Florida State is 6-6 in ACC play and 6-4 in its last 10 games. The team is situated in 7th place with Syracuse (7-6), winners of four straight, threatening close behind.
The team fell to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Clemson, and Wake Forest before hosting Pitt. Florida State is 8-3 this year inside the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. Someone’s losing streak will come to an end with the home team double-digit favorites. The Noles are scrappy defensively, tied for 12th in the country in steals recording close to nine and a half per game.
Florida State ranks near the middle of the pack in overall offensive rankings, similar to their placement in ACC standings. They do rebound well and will challenge Pitt on the glass after one of the worst rebounding performances of the year from the Panthers. Pitt and FSU both average 31.7 per game but the Seminoles grab almost one offensive board more.
Caleb Mills leads the way with 13 points while Matthew Cleveland (10.3) and Malik Osborne (10) are the only other players scoring in double figures.
Spread, Over/Under
Florida State is favored by 10 points in Wednesday’s latest odds.
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Pitt is 12-12 against the spread but has been struggling to cover, especially on the road.
The over/under for the game is set at 130.5 points and Pitt is +425 on the money line.
Florida State is only 8-14 ATS during the 2021-22 season and is 4-7 at home. The Seminoles are -575 on the money line.
Broadcast, Radio Info
The Florida State and Pitt matchup will air on the ACC Network Wednesday night at 9 p.m. Mike Monaco and Malcolm Huckaby are on the call.
The action can also be heard live on 93.7 The Fan.
Pitt returns home hosting N.C. State Saturday at 3 p.m. with both teams situated at the bottom of the ACC standings.
