Eastern Kentucky Colonels vs Pittsburgh Panthers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/11/24
The Colonels and Panthers are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ACC. The Panthers will host the game at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA. This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 149.5 points, and Pittsburgh is favored by -18.5 vs. Eastern Kentucky.
EASTERN KENTUCKY COLONELS VS PITTSBURGH PANTHERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Eastern Kentucky Colonels +18.5
This game will be played at Petersen Events Center at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, December 11th.
WHY BET THE EASTERN KENTUCKY COLONELS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 79-68 in favor of the Panthers.
- Even though we have Pittsburgh winning straight-up, we like Eastern Kentucky at +18.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 149.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.
Do the Colonels Have What it Takes to Win as Road Underdogs?
Eastern Kentucky Colonels Recent Game/Games
The Colonels dropped to 3-4 on the season after an 84-74 road loss to Troy on Sunday. Entering the game as +8.5 point underdogs, Eastern Kentucky not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.
Eastern Kentucky trailed 41-36 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap, getting outscored 43-38 in the second half. The game’s total points of 158 exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 145.5.
Eastern Kentucky put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 46.8% from the field. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 4 of 22 attempts for 18.2%, but were strong inside, connecting on 62.5% of their two-point shots.
Myles Rigsby led the way with 20 points, shooting 8 of 11 from the field and 2 of 2 from three-point range. Jerrell Bellamy added 18 points in just 16 minutes, shooting 5 of 7 overall. The Colonels also got 14 points each from Devontae Blanton and George Kimble III, with Kimble dishing out 5 assists.
Eastern Kentucky’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 84 points on 58% shooting from the field. They allowed the opposing team to hit 63% of their two-point attempts, going 21/33.
From beyond the arc, Eastern Kentucky’s opponents shot 47%, making 8 of 17 three-point attempts. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 18 free throws for 90%.
Can Pittsburgh Live Up to the Hype at Home?
Pittsburgh moved to 8-2 on the season with a 64-59 win over Virginia Tech on Saturday. The Panthers were -8.5 favorites going into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 123, falling short of the O/U line of 141.5.
Pitt turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring the Hokies 36-23 after trailing 36-28 at halftime. They held Virginia Tech to just 23 points in the 2nd half while scoring 36 points themselves to secure the win.
Pittsburgh’s offense struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 6 of 28 threes for a 21.4% shooting percentage. Overall, they shot 41.1% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 46.4%. Their two-point shooting was a bright spot, as they connected on 60.7% of their attempts inside the arc.
The Panthers were perfect from the free-throw line, going 12 for 12, and grabbed 9 offensive rebounds. Jaland Lowe led the team with 19 points and 5 rebounds, while Ishmael Leggett added 17 points and 4 assists. Toibu Lawal contributed 16 points on 6 of 10 shooting, and Jaden Schutt hit 4 threes, finishing with 14 points and 3 assists.
Defensively, Pittsburgh held their opponent to 59 points, allowing them to shoot 43% from the field with 23 made baskets on 53 attempts. Inside the arc, the opposing team connected on 15 of 28 two-point shots, good for 53%.
From beyond the three-point line, Pittsburgh’s defense gave up 8 threes on 25 attempts, a 32% shooting performance. The opponent also went to the free-throw line 7 times, making 5 of those for 71%. Pittsburgh allowed 8 offensive rebounds in the game.