The Pittsburgh Panthers (5-3, 4-3-1 ATS, 5-3 O/U) collide with the NC State Wolfpack (7-1, 5-2-1 ATS, 6-2 O/U) in an ACC battle on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers clobbered Northwestern in their previous action. The Wolfpack earned a dominating home victory against William & Mary on Tuesday. Pittsburgh earned a 71-69 home win against NC State last season.
The Pittsburgh Panthers head into their conference opener with confidence. They were 1-3 after the opening four games but have since collected four consecutive victories. The most notable win occurred in their latest action, pummelling Northwestern by an 87-58 score on Monday night in a bout that had Pittsburgh marked as 8.5-point dogs. The Panthers were dealt losses by Michigan and VCU earlier this season. They have covered the spread in three straight games.
Blake Hinson is in a groove. The junior forward accumulated a remarkable 22 points and eight boards in Monday’s victory. Hinson has reached 20 points on three occasions and is sporting an average of 16.8 PPG and 6.8 RPG. Jamarius Burton is also a scoring threat. The senior guard has connected on at least 50% of his field goals in five out of his last six games and has posted an average o f 14.6 PPG. John Hughley IV missed the first few games and has scored double-digits in three out of his last four clashes. The junior forward enters with an average of 10.4 PPG on a 52.9% mark from the field.
Good ball movement ?? Easy finish
?? ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/QbVhZ2GSK2
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 29, 2022
Pittsburgh is ranked 91st in DI in Ken Pomeroy’s ratings. They are not expected to be a contender in the ACC. The Panthers were voted to finish second last in the ACC preseason poll. The Panthers are clicking offensively, sinking at least 80 points in three straight games, and are now averaging 73.3 points, ranking them 176th. They are limiting opponents to 67.3 points, positioning them 150th.