On Friday, Pitt will face its toughest test of the season against the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road.
Let’s dive in to the game preview.
PITT’S OUTLOOK
The Panthers are looking for win No. 7 on the year after going 1-1 at The Greenbrier.
Pitt is coming off a loss to Wisconsin, who was ranked No. 19 at the time of the game last Sunday. Just two minutes into that game, Pitt guard Damian Dunn went down with two injuries: a sprained ankle and a dislocated thumb. Pitt announced that he will miss at least six weeks from the injury.
Now, the Panthers will look to guards Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett for continued leadership, along with Cam Corhen. Pitt will also have to alter its starting lineup for the first time this season, as Dunn had started every other game for the team so far.
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OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (5-1)
The Buckeyes have won three straight games, all over mid-major opponents. OSU already has a ranked win on the year, with an early-season win over Texas. The Buckeyes have also dropped a game to a ranked opponent, falling to Texas A&M.
HEAD COACH
Jake Diebler (1st Season)
OSU PREVIEW
Ohio State has five players averaging at least ten points per game. The Buckeyes are shooting the lights out through six games, making 43% of their threes so far. Three of those players — Bruce Thornton, John Mobley, and Meechie Johnson — are all shooting above 40% from beyond the arch.
Pitt will have the upper-hand in terms of size. The Buckeyes’ starting 7-foot center Aaron Bradshaw has not been participating with the team as of late due to an investigation. While there is no official update on Bradshaw’s status for the game, Diebler commented on Bradshaw as recently as Wednesday.
OSU will look to leading rebounder Devin Royal (6’6) and Duke transfer Sean Stewart (6’9) for help on the inside, as well as others.
METRICS
Pitt is ranked No. 14 in KenPom’s rankings, while OSU is ranked No. 17.
GAME TIME
Pitt Vs. Ohio State will start at 2:30 p.m. est. on Peacock.
SPREAD
OSU is a 2.5-point favorite, per DraftKings. The Panthers moneyline is +124, while OSU is -145 to win straight up. The over/under is hovering around 147.5 points.
TV
You can find Friday’s game on Peacock.
RADIO
Pitt Vs. OSU will be live on 93.7 The Fan as well.
