ACC Quarterfinal Duke vs. Pittsburgh Picks, Predictions, Odds

Although the Pittsburgh Panthers had a chance to clinch a share of the ACC regular season championship in their season finale, they are still considered a bubble team by many bracketologists. Pittsburgh is probably on the right side of the bubble with a 22-10 record and 15 wins against the ACC, but you can never be sure this time of year. The Panthers will have an opportunity to eliminate all doubt if Jeff Capel III can lead Pittsburgh past the program he played for and helped coach for eight years in the Duke Blue Devils.

The Pittsburgh Panthers and Duke Blue Devils will meet in the second ACC Quarterfinal on Thursday, March 9, 2023. The winner of this game will play either Miami or Wake Forest for a spot in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday. This game will take place at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, and tip off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Duke Blue Devils vs. Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Prediction

Most of the action will likely be on Duke due to the name recognition and because Greensboro is about an hour away from Durham. However, it doesn't look like there will be a very pro-Duke crowd if you look at the ticket sales, and early afternoon games can be tricky for favorites. Duke only beat Pittsburgh by eight points in Durham earlier this season, so I'm more than happy to take the Panthers and the points here.

Best Bet: Pittsburgh +6.5
Score Prediction: Duke 72 Pittsburgh 70

Duke Blue Devils vs. Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Odds

Duke Blue Devils vs. Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Resources

Date: Thursday, Mar. 9, 2023
TV-Time: ESPN2, 2:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Greensboro Coliseum
Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
Matchup
Expert Picks

ACC Tournament Odds

Duke Blue Devils vs. Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Stats

Duke Blue Devils
SU: 23-8
ATS: 12-19
O/U: 11-19-1
PPG: 71.8
OPPG: 63.8

Pittsburgh Panthers
SU: 22-10
ATS: 22-9-1
O/U: 20-12
PPG: 75.9
OPPG: 69.3

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS), Over-Under (O/U)
Points Per Game (PPG), Opponents Points Per Game (OPPG)

Duke Blue Devils Betting Analysis

The Duke Blue Devils needed some time to find their footing, but they ended the season with six straight victories after losing an overtime game to Virginia in mid-February. The freshmen might finally be coming on led by Kyle Filipowski, as he has posted a double-double in three of his last five games. Filipowski has not had the touch from downtown that Duke hoped he would this season, but he has re-tooled his game to help the Blue Devils by the basket and is averaging 9.2 RPG.

Freshman Tyrese Proctor wasn't one of the five-star recruits that Duke brought in prior to the start of the season, but he has outplayed two of the three ballyhooed recruits the Blue Devils signed in Jon Scheyer's first class. Proctor has seen his role increase as the year has gone on, and he has scored 10 points for Duke in each of his last four games.

There are some real concerns with this Duke offense though. The Blue Devils rank outside the top 200 nationally in effective field goal percentage as they have really struggled from beyond the three-point line. Dariq Whitehead and Mark Mitchell are the only two players making over 35% of their triples, but the two freshmen have been lacking in other areas. Duke does a great job on the offensive glass and is making 76.8% of its free throws, yet everything else is a work in progress.

Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Analysis

In the past, the Pitt Panthers were known for their defense. However, this program now has a real emphasis on playing exciting basketball with Capel on the sidelines. This is one of the top offenses in the country, and the Panthers rank 26th in offensive efficiency per Ken Pomeroy.

Blake Hinson has been one of the top performers in the ACC with 15.9 PPG and 6.4 RPG. Hinson is knocking down 38.6% of his threes, and he has raised his level of play over the last couple weeks. Jamarius Burton is the second leading scorer with 15.7 PPG, and he is only making 31% of his treys as a guard, but he is making 53.6% of his two-point shots. Additionally, Burton and Nelly Cummings are very good free throw shooters.

This is probably the last time to bet Pittsburgh in the ACC Tournament. The Panthers have a very shallow bench, especially with John Hugley IV out. That isn't too much of a problem in back-to-back games, but it becomes a real issue when teams have to play three in a row when four players are averaging 30+ MPG.