The Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) will be at home in Petersen Events Center when they clash with the Towson Tigers (8-2). The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 135 points with Towson opening as a 3.5-point favorite. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Friday, December 22, 2017.
Towson Tigers at Pittsburgh Panthers Odds Preview
The Tigers lost to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in their last game, 97-86. With 22 points on 7-for-16 shooting, Zane Martin was Towson’s leading scorer. Oakland did a terrific job of making free throws (30-36; 83.3 percent). Towson, on the other hand, forced the Golden Grizzlies into a turnover percentage of 20.0 (above their season average of 16.7).
In the Panthers last game, they defeated the Delaware State Hornets, 74-68. Pittsburgh was led by Jared Wilson-Frame, who contributed 13 points and six rebounds. Pittsburgh played a nearly perfect game. They had a phenomenal free throw rate of 0.354 (above their season average of 0.265) and a turnover percentage of 16.8 (better than their season average of 18.6). For those same stats, Delaware State had marks of 0.158 and 20.4, respectively.
The offense of Pittsburgh will go head-to-head against the elite defense of Towson. The Panthers currently rank 202nd in offensive efficiency, while the Tigers are 55th in defensive efficiency. The Tigers figure to have the advantage on that side of the ball. Moreover, the Tigers are among the nation’s best on the offensive backboards, ranking 45th in offensive rebounding percentage (35.3 percent). The Panthers, meanwhile, rank 303rd in defensive rebounding percentage (67.0 percent).
Games involving these teams tend to finish under the projected point total. Towson games have gone under 71.4 percent of the time, while Pittsburgh games have finished under 85.7 percent of the time. The Tigers come into this game with much better straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 8-2 SU and 5-2 ATS, while the Panthers are 7-5 SU and 4-3 ATS.
Towson Tigers at Pittsburgh Panthers Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Towson, ATS Winner – Towson, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Towson averages 40.3 rebounds per game, which ranks 31st in the NCAA. Pittsburgh ranks 192nd in rebounds allowed per game (36.8).
- The Tigers rank 43rd in blocks per game (5.0) while the Panthers rank 108th (3.5).
- Towson ranks 120th in assists per game (14.4) while Pittsburgh ranks 163rd in assists allowed per game (14.3).
Bettings Trends:
- The Panthers average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.8, up from 0.9 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Tigers have scored an average of 81.2 points per game (1.3 above their season average) and allowed an average of 72.8 points per game (6.7 above their season average).
