Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Tuesday, Feb. 20 (Back the Panthers)
Two of the three teams tied for fourth place in the ACC will meet in Winston-Salem Tuesday.
Where did these Panthers come from? After a 1-5 start in conference play, Pittsburgh has won seven of eight overall and five straight to get back into the NCAA Tournament conversation. Pittsburgh has a five-point win over Wake Forest on its resume already and will look to keep that momentum on the road Tuesday night.
Wake Forest has gone in a different direction having lost five of nine overall and back-to-back games. The Demon Deacons are another team clinging to the NCAA Tournament bubble following Saturday’s 49-47 road loss to Virginia. Wake Forest has been great as a favorite this season and is laying a modest number against Pittsburgh. Can they pull away? Here’s the betting preview for Tuesday’s conference clash with a best bet.
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Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest odds, spread and total
Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest betting trends
- Pittsburgh is 15-8-2 ATS this season
- Wake Forest is 13-11-1 ATS this season
- Pittsburgh is 3-4-1 ATS as an underdog this season
- Wake Forest is 11-5-1 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 13-11-1 in Pittsburgh games this season
- The OVER is 14-11 in Wake Forest games this season
Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest how to watch
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 20
- Game time: 9 p.m. EST
- Venue: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
- How to watch (TV): ACC Network
- Pittsburgh record: 17-8 (8-6 ACC)
- Wake Forest record: 16-9 (8-6 ACC)
Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest key players to watch
Pittsburgh
Blake Hinson: The 6-foot-8 senior forward has taken the ACC by storm. He’s now third in the league in scoring at 19.2 points per game. Hinson started Pittsburgh’s streak with 24 points in a road upset of Duke on Jan. 20. He poured in 27 points in an upset win over Virginia one week ago and had a season-high 41 (hitting nine 3-pointers) in Saturday’s win over Louisville.
Wake Forest
Hunter Sallis: Speaking of the ACC’s top scorers, Sallis, a 6-foot-5 junior guard, is fourth in the league in scoring at 18.4 points per game while shooting 49.9%, which ranks second among guards. Sallis has scored 20 or more points in four of the last six games and is averaging 20.5 points per game in that span, which started with a 22-point, 6-rebound performance in a 77-72 loss to Pittsburgh Jan. 31.
Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest prediction and pick
On Jan. 31, Pittsburgh edged Wake Forest, 77-72, behind a 22-point night from Ishmael Leggett off the bench. The Panthers were outrebounded, but Wake Forest went just 6-of-22 from 3-point range and Pittsburgh had a 17-10 advantage on the free-throw line.
Wake Forest has a top-40 offense and defense in KenPom. Offensively, the Demon Deacons are third in the ACC in scoring at 79 points per game but have struggled against the nation’s top defenses. In its last two games, Wake Forest put up just 116 total points in losses to Duke (No. 25 in defense) and Virginia (No. 10). They’ll face a Pittsburgh defense that is a step down in class despite ranking No. 15 on the perimeter and No. 63 in effective field goal percentage.
Wake Forest’s defense has been superb, ranking No. 29 overall and top 60 in effective field goal percentage and defensive rebounding. Pittsburgh’s offense is No. 53 overall and has been above average both inside and beyond the arc.
The spot screams Wake Forest as the Demon Deacons are 11-5-1 ATS as a favorite this season and Pittsburgh is just 3-4-1 ATS as an underdog (12-4-1 ATS as a favorite). However, Pittsburgh is just playing too well to go against right now and has won five of its last six road games outright. Take the points with the Panthers.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.