Pittsburgh Panthers vs Mississippi State Bulldogs 3/14/2023 Best Picks, Tips and Odds
Men’s Basketball Championship – Midwest Region – First Four
In the opening round of the Men’s Basketball Championship – Midwest Region, the 11th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers (ACC) and the no.11 Mississippi State Bulldogs (SEC) will clash at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday night. Pittsburgh comes into the tournament with a 22-11 record, a .667 win percentage, and a 5th place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the year. However, the Panthers have struggled lately, losing three of their last five games, including a 27-point defeat to the 21st-ranked Duke Blue Devils at 69-96 in the recent New York Life ACC Tournament quarterfinal round on March 9. In that game, Pittsburgh’s offense had trouble converting, shooting just 42.2% from the field, including 27.8% from beyond the arc, and committed 10 turnovers. The Panthers’ defense also faltered, allowing Duke to score 96 points on 62.1% field goal shooting and 11 made three-pointers.
Leading the charge for Pittsburgh is guard Jamarius Burton, who averaged 15.6 points per game on 49.7% shooting in the regular season. Forward Blake Hinson led in rebounding, grabbing an average of 6.2 boards per game, while also contributing a second-best scoring of 15.6 points per game. Guard Greg Elliott pitched in with an average of 10.4 points per game, and guard Nelly Cummings rounded out the Panthers’ top scorers with an average of 11.0 points per game, along with a team-leading average of 4.8 assists per game.
- Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against an opponent in the Southeastern conference.
- The Pittsburgh Panthers are 1-8 SU in their last 9 games played in March.
- The Panthers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games played on a Tuesday.
Pittsburgh Panthers vs Mississippi State Bulldogs 3/14/2023 Best Picks, Tips and Odds
In the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, the Mississippi State Bulldogs earned a spot in the tournament with a 21-12 record and a ninth-place finish in the Southeastern Conference. Despite losing their recent SEC Tournament quarterfinal to the no.4 Alabama Crimson Tide with a score of 49-72, Mississippi State won three of their last five games played. In their Friday game, the Bulldogs struggled offensively, only managing to score 49 points on 31.0% shooting while only making one shot from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed Alabama to score 72 points on 40.3% shooting, including 13 three-pointers.
Forward Tolu Smith led Mississippi State’s offensive attack with 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting while grabbing 11 rebounds in 27 minutes of play. Guard Dashawn Davis added 13 points, while Forward DJ Jeffries contributed seven points on nine shot attempts in 32 minutes of action. The Bulldogs’ bench combined for eight points in 40 minutes played.
- The Mississippi State Bulldogs are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games.
- The total stayed UNDER in 4 of Mississippi State’s last 5 games against an opponent in the AAC.
- The Bulldogs are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played in March.
No.11 Pittsburgh Panthers vs. no.11 Mississippi State Bulldogs. The NCAAB Pick for this contest is the Pittsburgh Panthers. Both squads enter this big tournament with their best basketball for the season and aim to spill over the playoffs. The Panthers are the better team here after successfully managing a tougher schedule in coming to this contest. Pittsburgh features their offensive and defensive strength to overcome a tough Mississippi State team. The prediction: Pittsburgh Panthers will win 74-68.
NCAAB Starting Time: 9:10 PM ET
Location: UD Arena in Dayton, OH
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
TV: truTV
NCAAB Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh Panthers +1.5
NCAAB Totals: 132.5
