The Pittsburgh Panthers will look to boost their win total and cover the spread when they tip off against the Villanova Wildcats at Petersen Events Center on Saturday in NCAAB play.

The Wildcats will try to spoil to the party on Saturday; they are 11-15 ATS against the number this season, while the Panthers are 13-11 ATS. Villanova is 12-14 on the totals; Pittsburgh is 11-13.



View Villanova vs Pittsburgh Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as 9.5-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 3-ranked Panthers and the No. 14-rated Wildcats in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 82-77 win for the Panthers on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Pittsburgh's No. 48 nationally ranked offense (74.5 points per game) against a Wildcats defense that sits as the No. 101 at 65.6 PPG. The Panthers have been averaging 47.3% from the field, more than the Wildcats have managed so far this season (44.2% on average).

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Villanova owns the country's No. 124-rated mark, allowing 69 points per game on the highway. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, rates No. 64 in scoring at home.

In their last action, Villanova was a 93-72 loser on the road against Notre Dame. They failed to cover the 5–point spread as underdogs. Villanova was crushed on Monday, getting blown out by Notre Dame and falling by a 93-72 score at Joyce Center.

Pittsburgh was a 66-50 Sportsbook in its last match on the road against South Florida. They covered the 10.5–point spread as favorites. Pittsburgh earned a 66-50 victory over South Florida on Wednesday, getting 18 points from Nasir Robinson at Sun Dome.


Villanova Wildcats Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 9-1
After playing Notre Dame are 7-3
After a loss are 5-5

Pittsburgh Panthers Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
After playing South Florida are 3-3
After a win are 7-3

A few Wildcats at Panthers trends to consider:
Villanova is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Villanova's last 6 games on the road
Villanova is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Villanova is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games when playing Villanova
Pittsburgh is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Villanova