Virginia Basketball vs. Pittsburgh Game Preview, Score Prediction

Virginia seems to be to open the brand new yr with one other ACC highway win because the Cavaliers journey to the Metal Metropolis to tackle the Pitt Panthers on Tuesday evening. Pittsburgh is on a four-game successful streak and is 3-0 in ACC play, however UVA has gained eight-straight video games in opposition to Pitt, together with three-consecutive on the Petersen Occasions Middle. 

Learn on for a full preview of Virginia at Pittsburgh, together with particulars on the sport, an opponent scouting report, recreation notes, and a rating prediction. 

Recreation Particulars

Who: Virginia Cavaliers (10-2, 2-1 ACC) at Pittsburgh Panthers (10-4, 3-0 ACC)

When: Tuesday, January third at 9pm ET

The place: Petersen Occasions Middle in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Easy methods to watch: ACC Community

Easy methods to stream: fuboTV (Begin your free trial)

Easy methods to pay attention: SiriusXM 81, SXM App 81 | Virginia Sports activities Radio Community – click on right here for associates

All-time sequence: Virginia leads 19-4

Final assembly: Virginia defeated Pittsburgh 66-61 on January nineteenth, 2022 in Pittsburgh behind 19 factors and eight assists from Reece Beekman. 

Opponent Scouting Report: Pittsburgh

2022-2023: 10-4, 3-0 ACC
Notable outcomes: vs. West Virginia 81-56 L, vs. Michigan 91-60 L, vs. VCU 71-67 L, at Northwestern 87-58 W, at NC State 68-60 W, at Vanderbilt 75-74 L, at Syracuse 84-82 W, vs. North Carolina 76-74

Pittsburgh struggled early within the season, dropping three straight video games in early November, together with a pair of blowout losses to West Virginia and Michigan by a mixed 56 factors. Since that three-game skid, nevertheless, the Panthers have discovered a rhythm, successful 9 of their final ten video games, and are available into this recreation on a four-game successful streak. Pitt sits atop the ACC standings at 3-0 after knocking off NC State and Syracuse on the highway and most just lately, defeating North Carolina 76-74 final Friday. 

Like Virginia, Pittsburgh has a veteran-laden roster with a beginning lineup fully made up of upperclassmen and graduate college students. 4 Panthers are averaging in double figures, led by 6’7″ ahead Blake Hinson, an Iowa State switch who, regardless of not taking part in a single recreation within the final two seasons because of a mix of accidents and sicknesses, hasn’t missed a beat to start out this season, main Pitt in scoring (17.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg). Hinson is ready to play inside and outside, taking pictures 48.2% from the ground and 34.6% from three. The matchup to observe on Tuesday evening will likely be Blake Hinson vs. Jayden Gardner, who had two nice video games in opposition to Pitt final yr, together with a last-second game-winner within the recreation in Charlottesville. 

6’9″ ahead John Hugley was Pitt’s main scorer final season, however has struggled with accidents this season and it is unclear if he’ll play in opposition to Virginia on Tuesday. In his place, Pitt has turned to six’11” heart Federiko Federiko, who has been taking part in very properly just lately, particularly through the staff’s four-game successful streak. 

6’4″ graduate guard Jamarius Burton headlines an skilled and gifted backcourt trio for Pitt, averaging 15.8 factors per recreation and taking pictures the three at a 43.5% clip, however he has tried solely 23 three-pointers by the primary 14 video games of the season. Burton is joined by a pair of graduate transfers within the backcourt who should not almost as shy in taking pictures the three. 6’0″ Colgate switch Nelly Cummings averages 11.1 factors and 4.9 assists per recreation, whereas 6’3″ Marquette switch Greg Elliott averages 10.8 factors per recreation and shoots 39.5% from past the arc. Each Cummings and Elliott are high-volume three-point shooters, keen to tug the set off each time they’ve an open look. 

Along with the Jayden Gardner-Blake Hinson matchup up entrance, the battle between Pitt’s trio of beginning guards and Kihei Clark, Reece Beekman, and Armaan Franklin needs to be extremely entertaining. 

Recreation Notes

• Virginia has gained every of the final eight video games in opposition to Pittsburgh, together with each of the matchups within the 2021-2022 season.
• The Cavaliers have gained 15 of the final 16 video games in opposition to the Panthers and have a three-game successful streak on the Petersen Occasions Middle.
• UVA is 12-1 in opposition to Pitt for the reason that Panthers joined the ACC in 2013 and Tony Bennett is 12-2 all-time in opposition to Pitt.
• Virginia is ranked No. 11 within the newest AP Prime 25 ballot and has been ranked in each AP ballot this season.
• With 326 wins at Virginia, Tony Bennett (326-119) has tied Terry Holland (326-173) for many wins in UVA program historical past. Bennett will turn into Virginia’s all-time winningest coach along with his subsequent victory. 

Prediction

Pittsburgh has an excessive amount of momentum coming into this recreation, having gained 9 of its final ten video games and 4 in a row, together with back-to-back two-point ACC wins over Syracuse and North Carolina. In the meantime, Virginia is hoping to construct its personal momentum off of its very sturdy efficiency in a wire-to-wire highway victory at Georgia Tech on Saturday, a recreation that was undoubtedly the staff’s finest offensive displaying since Las Vegas. Each groups have an excessive amount of expertise and have largely performed good basketball by the primary half of the season, however UVA’s edge on the defensive finish offers the Cavaliers the important thing benefit they should hand the Panthers their first convention lack of the season and open 2023 with a highway win. 

Rating Prediction: Virginia 76, Pittsburgh 71

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