California Golden Bears vs Pittsburgh Panthers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/1/25

Looking to win big? The Golden Bears and Panthers face off at 2:00 ET on ACCN. The Panthers are hosting the game at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 154 points, and Pittsburgh is favored by -13.5 to win at home against California.

CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS VS PITTSBURGH PANTHERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: California Golden Bears +13.5

This game will be played at Petersen Events Center at 2:00 ET on Wednesday, January 1st.

WHY BET THE CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 79-67 in favor of the Panthers.
• Even though we have Pittsburgh winning straight-up, we like California at +13.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 154 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Will the Golden Bears Defense Show Up in Pittsburgh?

California Golden Bears Recent Game/Games

California fell to 7-5 on the season after a 71-50 home loss to San Diego State on Saturday. The Golden Bears entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs but failed to cover the spread.

Cal struggled offensively, scoring just 16 points in the first half. While they picked up the pace in the second half with 34 points, they allowed 46 points to the Aztecs. The game’s total points of 121 fell well short of the 144.5 O/U line.

The Golden Bears struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 25.5% from the field and 20.8% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 29.1%, and they managed only 4 assists as a team.

Nick Boyd led the way with 17 points, hitting 5 of 8 from beyond the arc. He was the only player to make more than 2 threes, as the rest of the team combined to shoot 0 for 16 from deep.

Despite California’s strong defensive effort, holding their opponent to just 25% shooting from the field, they still allowed 71 points. The Golden Bears gave up 17 points from the free-throw line, where their opponent shot 81%.

California limited their opponent’s three-point shooting, with just 5 made threes on 24 attempts, a 20% success rate. Inside the arc, their opponent shot 29%, converting 9 of 31 attempts.

Can the Panthers Lock in a Home Win?

Pittsburgh improved to 10-2 on the season with a 110-78 win over Sam Houston on Saturday. The Panthers were -17 point favorites and covered the spread, while the game’s total points of 188 exceeded the O/U line of 151.5.

Leading 52-40 at halftime, Pittsburgh clamped down defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 38 points while scoring 58 of their own.

Pittsburgh’s offense was on fire in their last game, putting up 110 points with a field goal percentage of 58.5% and an effective field goal percentage of 70.8%. They hit 51.6% from beyond the arc, knocking down 16 threes, and shot 64.7% on two-pointers. At the free-throw line, they connected on 78.3% of their attempts, going 18 for 23.

The Panthers also dished out 23 assists and grabbed 12 offensive rebounds. Cameron Huefner led the way with 26 points, while Zack Austin and Ishmael Leggett each added 23 points, shooting 66.7% from the field. Austin hit 5 threes at a 55.6% clip, and Leggett was 3 for 4 from deep, shooting 75% from three-point range.

Despite Pittsburgh’s defensive efforts, they gave up 78 points, with their opponents shooting 58% from the field. This included 64% from two-point range, where they made 22 of 34 shots.

From beyond the arc, Pittsburgh allowed 16 threes on 31 attempts, a 51% shooting performance. They also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 18 free throws at a 78% rate. Pittsburgh gave up 12 offensive rebounds in the game.