Eastern Kentucky vs. Pitt prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
12/10/2024 04:46 PM
Pitt looks for their ninth win of the season as they face Eastern Kentucky. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Eastern Kentucky-Pitt prediction and pick.
Eastern Kentucky comes into the game sitting at 5-4 on the year. After opening 2-0, they fell to Clemson 75-62. Recently, they had lost two in a row, falling to Louisiana Tech and Troy before winning their last game. Last time out, they faced NCCAA Campbellsville-Harrodsburg, winning the game 98-62. Meanwhile, Pitt is 8-2 on the year. They opened up with six straight wins before falling to Wisconsin 81-75. They would beat Ohio State by one before falling 90-57 to Mississippi State. Last time out, they opened ACC play, beating Virginia Tech 64-59.
Pitt and Eastern Kentucky have met three other times, with Pitt winning all three games. They have won by an average margin of 12.3 points per game.
Here are the Eastern Kentucky-Pitt College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Eastern Kentucky-Pitt Odds
Eastern Kentucky: +19.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +1600
Pitt: -19.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -4500
Over: 149.5 (-110)
Under: 149.5 (-110)
How to Watch Eastern Kentucky vs. Pitt
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
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Why Eastern Kentucky Will Cover The Spread/Win
Eastern Kentucky is ranked 210th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are 153rd in offensive efficiency while sitting 276th in defensive efficiency. Eastern Kentucky has scored well this year. They are 177th in the nation in points per game, scoring 73 points per game this year. They also get up a good volume of shots. Eastern Kentucky is 36th in the nation in field goal attempts per game, while sitting 60th in three-point attempts per game.
Devontae Blanton leads the way. The forward leads the team in points and rebounds this year, coming into the game with 16.1 points per game while averaging 6.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.4 steals. He is joined in the front court by Mayar Wol. Wol is scoring just 9.4 points per game but adds 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.
George Kimble III leads the backcourt and leads the team in assists and steals. He has 4.3 assists per game to go with his 2.7 steals. Further, he scored 14.3 points and adds 3.6 rebounds per game. He is joined in the backcourt by Jordan Crawford. Crawford is scoring 9.3 points per game, while adding 1.6 rebounds a,d 1.7 steals per game this year.
Why Pitt Will Cover The Spread/Win
Pitt is ranked 15th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are 21st in offensive efficiency while sitting 16th in defensive efficiency. Pitt has scored well this year. Sitting 61st in the nation in points per game while also sitting 90th in effective field goal percentage and 83rd in shooting percentage. They have also been solid on defense. Pitt is 80th in the nation in points per game while also 77th in opponent effective field goal percentage.
Pitt has been led by Jaland Lowe this year. He leads the team in both points and assists on the season. Lowe is scoring 17.1 points while adding 4.9 assists. Further, he has 5.4 rebounds and two steals per game this year. He is joined in the backcourt by Ishmael Leggett. Legget is scoring 17 points per game this year while adding 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Damian Dunn has also been solid this year, with 11.1 points per game, but he has missed time recently with an injury.
In the frontcourt, Cameron Corhen leads the way. He is scoring 10.5 points per game but adds 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game this year. He is joined in the frontcourt by Guillermo Diaz Graham. Graham is scoring just 7.3 points per game but leads the team with 6.4 rebounds per game this year. Further, he adds 1.3 assists per game. Rounding out the frontcourt is Zack Austin. He is scoring 7.9 points per game but adds 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game this year.
Final Eastern Kentucky-Pitt Prediction & Pick
Eastern Kentucky stays in the game through volume shooting and forcing turnovers. While they are not a great shooting team, they take a high volume of attempts to make up for that. Further, they are 51st in the nation in opponent turnovers. They also move fairly quickly, sitting 189th in the nation in adjusted tempo this year. Pitt also has a solid tempo, sitting 167th in the nation in tempo this year. Still, Pitt limits shooting opportunities and forces bad shots. They are 77th in the nation in opponent effective field goal percentage. Further, they do not give up extra possessions, sitting 31st in the nation in turnovers per game. Pitt will neutralize the best aspects of this Eastern Kentucky team, and get an easy win in this one.
Final Eastern Kentucky-Pitt Prediction & Pick: Pitt -19.5 (-120)
The post Eastern Kentucky vs. Pitt prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
