West Virginia Mountaineers vs Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Odds – Pittsburgh will Suffer Defeat at Home
The West Virginia vs Pittsburgh betting odds will set up another huge Big East matchup on Friday night as the two rivals are separated by a game in the conference standings. The Mountaineers won the first matchup rather easily and expect more of the same this time around.
- What: NCAA Basketball Betting
- When: Friday, February 12th – 9:00 PM ET
- Where: Petersen Events Center – Pittsburgh, PA
The Storyline: West Virginia vs Pittsburgh Betting Odds
With these two teams facing each other just a little over a week ago in West Virginia, it will be interesting to see the mood in Pittsburgh on Friday night.
Things turned ugly during the February 3rd game at the WVU Coliseum, with unruly Mountaineers fans pelting the court with empty bottles and t-shirts in an effort to show their disdain. Panthers associate head coach Tom Herrion was hit below the eye with a coin thrown from the stands during the ruckus. While the Oakland Zoo student organization has pledged proper and respectful behavior, tension will undoubtedly be high as these rivals once again face off. Online betting odds once again have WVU as the favorite. Whether or not Pittsburgh will be able to engender an upset on their home turf remains to be seen.
Offensive Matchups: West Virginia vs Pittsburgh Betting Odds
The West Virginia Mountaineers were not only unable to mount a successful offence in their last game against Villanova, their offence worked against them, with guard Joe Mazzulla’s +/- time being a shocking -13. Against Pittsburgh, look for guards Butler and Jones to penetrate and score big for WVU. If Da’Sean Butler can have a performance anything like his season high scoring effort on February 6 against St. John’s, West Virginia will dominate the Panthers. Butler scored 33 points and went 100% in three-pointers, landing 7 of 7 attempts. The Mountaineers’ Truck Bryant will also look to work himself out of a shooting slump, having only hit two of his last fifteen three-point attempts. Missing the three definitely contributed to West Virginia’s recent loss to Villanova, so it will be interesting to see if the Mountaineers have been working to shore up this deficiency. Despite their shortcomings, WVU has the stronger and more versatile offence. Look for the Mountaineers to score early and often against the Panthers.
Betting Edge: West Virginia Mountaineers
Defensive Matchups: West Virginia vs Pittsburgh Betting Odds
Defensive stalwart Jermaine Dixon has been listed as day-to-day with an ankle injury, which means Pittsburgh will be lacking somewhat in their defense – a vulnerability West Virginia will no doubt look to exploit on Friday night at the Petersen Events Center. One thing Pittsburgh clearly has going for them: they have performed exceptionally at home this season. 5-0 against top 5 competition in Petersen Events Center, the Panthers clearly are able to draw upon the energy of their fans and supporters on home turf. If they hope to keep sportsbook favorite WVU at bay, however, effective defense will be critical for Pittsburgh
.Betting Edge: Mountaineers
Injuries: West Virginia vs Pittsburgh Betting Odds
With Jermaine Dixon’s lingering ankle troubles, the Mountaineers have a possible advantage on Friday night. Listed as day-to-day, Dixon’s absence would mean that Pittsburgh’s defense suffers, and West Virginia is that much more likely to penetrate and score big. With WVU already having a stronger, more capable offence, Pittsburgh will have to have all their guys on top form, and Dixon out of the lineup means things go from bad to worse for the outmatched Panthers.
Betting Edge: Mountaineers
Betting Prediction: West Virginia vs Pittsburgh Betting Odds
While the Panthers are an impressive 5-0 against top 5 teams at the Petersen Event Centre, Fans of sports betting will do well to stick with the favorite on this one. The disparity won’t be a colossal 19-points, but 5th ranked West Virginia will once again defeat the outmatched 25th ranked Panthers and notch another win in the ongoing rivalry. It will be interesting to see the crowd response and reaction in Pittsburgh on Friday – let’s hope Panthers fans are able to have a little more perspective and maturity than some of the troublemakers in Morgantown last week.
CRAIG’s Pick: Mountaineers
