Colgate vs Pitt Odds and Picks (Dec. 9)

• Colgate is a 2.5-point favorite against Pitt on Friday
• Colgate has lost the last three in the series
• Read below for analysis and a betting prediction

Pitt (2-6) is a 2.5-point home underdog against Colgate at 8 pm ET on Thursday on the ACC Network as part of the Gotham Classic. The Panthers have lost four in a row and are 0-4 against Power 6 foes.

Colgate (4-5) has the most impressive victory among the two teams this season, a 100-85 victory at Syracuse in which the Raiders overcome a 22-7 deficit to win going away on Nov. 20

Colgate vs Pitt Odds

Odds from BetMGM on Dec. 8.

Coach Jeff Capel is basically starting over in his fourth season at Pitt after losing his top five scorers from 2020-21, including All-ACC forward Justin Champagnie. Leading scorer Champagnie entered the NBA draft after his sophomore season but went undrafted before signing with Toronto as a free agent.

Panthers’ starting guard Nick Sibande was lost for the season after suffering a torn ACL in an exhibition game against Gannon, and starting guard Ithiel Horton has not played this season after being suspended indefinitely on the eve of the season opener for an off-campus incident.

If It Wasn’t for Bad Luck

The Panthers most recent losses to Minnesota and Virginia are eerily similar. The Panthers gave up game-winning baskets after offensive rebounds in the final seconds of. both. They had not last consecutive one-point games since the 1932-33 season.

Pitt scored 11 straight points for a 56-52 lead with 25 seconds left against Virginia on Dec. 3, but could. not get the ball inbounds  after Cavaliers made a three-point play and were called for a five-second violation. Virginia missed a 3-pointer on its final possession but snared the offensive rebound and won on Jayden Gardner’s baseline jumper at 0:09 in the ACC opener for both.

The Gophers scored four points in the final 30 seconds, including a put-back with two seconds remaining, in a 54-53 victory on Nov. 30.

Forward 6’9John Hugley, who leads the team in scoring (15.4) and rebounding (7.5), and guard 6’6 Femi Odukale are the only returning Panthers who averaged as many as five points a game last season. Hugley has three 20-point games and three double-doubles.

Odukale, averaging 21.1 points and 3.7 assists, missed the Virginia game with an ankle injury. He is considered questionable for Colgate. Texas Tech transfer Jamarius Burton is averaging 8.5 points and 3.2 assists after missing the first two games with a left-knee injury.

This is one way to win a basketball game.

Virginia erases a four-point deficit in the final 11 seconds and beats Pitt at the buzzer on one of the most ridiculous bounces you'll ever see.pic.twitter.com/r3BtwKj8Yq

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) December 4, 2021

Colgate Off a Big Win

Colgate broke a three-game losing streak with an 89-61 victory over outclassed Columbia its last time out Monday, its first victory since its stunner at Syracuse,

Preseason all-league 6′ senior guard Nelly Cummings had a career-high 26 points with six 3-pointers against Columbia and leads a veteran group that  includes three seniors and two juniors. The Raiders have won the Patriot League three of the last four seasons.

https://youtu.be/15EgtK0Z_9Q

Cummings is averaging 17.7 points and has made 32 of 58 3-pointers. Guard Jack Ferguson is averaging 11.8 points with 24 threes and five other Raiders averaging at least 7.2 points.

By the Numbers

Pitt is 4-4 ATS, 1-3 as a favorite. Colgate is 3-4-1 ATS, 2-0 as a road dog. Pitt is 7-5 in the season series, 5-1 at home. The Panthers have won the last three games, most recently a 68-54 in the 2018-19 season.

Colgate is 127th in the KenPom efficiency rankings. Pitt is 196th, lowest in the ACC.

There is little to very recommend Pitt here, the Raiders’ spotty performance so far notwithstanding.

The pick: Colgate -2.5 (-110)