Posted on
3/3/2008 4:59:54 PM
NCAA Basketball – Big East Showdown - West Virginia Hosts Pittsburgh
By Eric Williams
The West Virginia Mountaineers, (20-9 SU, 12-10-1 ATS, 9-14 O/U), will be looking to pick up a crucial Big East win tonight when they face the Pittsburgh Panthers, (21-8 SU, 13-11 ATS, 12-12 O/U) at home in a matchup that will decide the No. 6 seed in the upcoming Big East tournament.
The Mountaineers were soundly beaten on the road by the Connecticut Huskies 79-71 on Saturday, snapping their modest two-game winning streak and giving the team its fifth loss in its last ten games.
Pittsburgh enters tonight’s matchup coming off a dramatic come-from-behind victory at Syracuse on Saturday where they battled back an 11-point second half deficit and outscored the Orange 18-2 over the game's final 3:49 to win 82-77 and record the school’s seventh consecutive 20-win season.
The Panthers, who are averaging 73.0 points per game on 45.7 percent shooting while allowing 64.5 points per game on 42.6 percent shooting, have gone a mediocre 5-5 in its last ten games and even more dismal 3-7 against the spread over the same span.
The Mountaineers, who are averaging 75.5 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting while allowing 62.7 points per game on 41.2 percent shooting, have also gone 5-5 in their last ten games and a respectable 5-4-1 against the spread over the same span.
Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my analysis and NCAAB Betting Picks.
The Panthers are 7-3-1 ATS in their last eleven Monday games.
The Panthers are 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
The Mountaineers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games following a S.U. loss.
The Mountaineers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven Monday games.
The Under is 5-1 in Panthers last six vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
The Under is 8-1 in Mountaineers last nine games vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600.
The Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
The Favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
Analysis: While the Mountaineers are playing this contest at home, I don’t think they are a better team than the Panthers this season, who are more athletic and much deeper. Take the Panthers to cover the spread while possibly winning outright.
NCAAB Free Picks: Pittsburgh +5½ Points
07:00 PM EST NCAAB Betting Odds
Pittsburgh +5½ -110
West Virginia -5½ -110
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