Preview and pick for the ACC matchup between Pitt and Syracuse

It has been a so-so season for both the Syracuse Orange and Pittsburgh Panthers. Their hopes for an NCAA at-large bid are somewhat nil, but the NIT is within the grasp of both of them. On Wednesday night they will do battle in a critical matchup for both, at Petersen Events Center in the Steel City. The contest is televised on the ACC Network, and BetAnySports customers will have a chance to watch the game live and place wagers on it in real time as they access what is available at Sports Betting Ultra.

It's a rematch of their January 25 game at the Carrier Dome, where both teams shot just 5-of-21 from three-point range, but Syracuse's inside game was very useful in a 69-61 victory. The coach's son, Buddy Boeheim, was also instrumental with 21 points.

Currently, Pitt is 15-13 straight-up and 12-16 against the spread. They are 7-10 ATS at home. They have lost four consecutive games - to Clemson, Virginia Tech, Florida State and Virginia. They've registered two wins over North Carolina (which is having a 'down' season), along with victories over Rutgers and Florida State.

Syracuse will need a rally to get to the Big Dance, including some wins in the ACC tournament. They can position themselves well for the NIT with a win here. Jim Boeheim's squad is 15-12 straight-up and 12-15 versus the number. Syracuse is 6-2 ATS in true road games, and have seen their over/under numbers listed too low, as they are 18-8-1 to the "over."

In the college basketball betting odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, the Panthers are a slight favorite:

Pittsburgh Panthers -1
Syracuse Orange     +1

Over 137 points -110
Under 137 points -110

Both of these teams gave had difficulty keeping their opponents off the offensive boards. Pitt and Syracuse rank 342nd and 326th, respectively, in Defensive Rebounding Percentage. Pittsburgh is the team that might be in need of second chances, since they have not been a good shooting team. And we will get to that in a moment.

Syracuse, it should be acknowledged, could easily have a better record than they do right now. Five of their last seven losses have been by five points or less. They are bigger than Pitt, though not necessarily deeper. They'll be more formidable in the lane - perhaps on both offense and defense. The Orange ranks 12th nationally in Blocked Shot Percentage (Marek Dolezaj being a key figure here).

Most of this is a by-product of their vaunted Matchup Zone, in which Syracuse essential seals up anything inside of the three-point arc. And consequently, opponents are forced to shoot from long range to stay very alive in games. When you consider that their foes have taken 48.1% of their attempts from downtown, that's compelling evidence.

And while we concede that the 'Cuse is quite capable of "Brick City," the inability of Pitt to shoot the basketball can't be ignored. That goes for both two-pointers (302nd nationally) and triples (29.2% - 332nd). And they have no real threats from beyond the arc in their rotation. Key offensive cogs like guard Trey McGowens have lousy numbers (40% from TWO, less than 30% from THREE), and McGowens has been regressing, shooting 21% overall in his last four.

Unless Syracuse really tanks from the field, they should have a pretty favorable matchup here, so we are on the side of the underdog.

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