Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State - First Four Predictions & Odds, 3/14
The Pittsburgh Panthers (22-11) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-12) just snuck into the NCAA Tournament and will face off in a First Four matchup Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. Both teams were on the bubble entering their conference tournaments and each grabbed one win before bowing out to Duke and Alabama, respectively. Although they didn’t make a deep conference tournament run, the lone win for each program was enough to give them a chance to enjoy March Madness.
The winner of Tuesday’s matchup will take on Iowa State in the Round of 64, so let’s dive into our experts’ Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State predictions, with odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
PITTSBURGH VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE PREDICTION: Mississippi State -2 (-110 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State basketball predictions for Tuesday’s First Four game
The Pittsburgh Panthers enter Tuesday’s matchup with a 22-11 overall record and a 14-6 conference record, which granted them the #5 seed in the ACC tournament. However, they fell to the #4-seeded Duke Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament in a disappointing fashion (96-69). They did take down Georgia Tech 89-81, but both games showed Pitt’s biggest weakness, their defense.
The Panthers give up 69.7 points per game (159th in the country), but they allowed 75 points or more in eight of their last 10 games. When the Panthers give up 75 points or more, they are just 5-6, and those five victories came against Georgia Tech (89-81), Syracuse (99-82), Florida State (83-75), Wake Forest (81-79) and Syracuse again (84-82). The good news is that they can win when allowing 75+ points, but they’ve averaged 87.2 points in those victories.
The bad news for the Panthers is that Mississippi State has allowed 75+ points just twice this season (Alabama and Tennessee). Only Tennessee has eclipsed 80 points against the Bulldogs, who thrive on their stout defense that gives up just 60.4 points per contest (eighth in the country). Additionally, the Bulldogs love to play at an extremely slow pace (ranked 344th at KenPom), so if they can control the tempo of Wednesday’s contest, it could be a long night for the Panthers.
Picks & best bets for Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State including Miss State -2 (-110 at DraftKings)
Mississippi State shot just 31% from the floor in their SEC Tournament loss to Alabama, but we think they’ll have more success against Pittsburgh. The Panthers went 1-3 against non-conference Power 5 programs this year (West Virginia, Michigan and Vanderbilt tallying the three losses) and even dropped a non-conference matchup with a fellow tournament team in VCU (71-67).
Although they beat the likes of two tournament teams in Virginia and NC State, the Panthers’ defensive struggles are too hard to ignore. Shooting can be hard to come by at the start of tournaments, as players can be nervous and need time to get adjusted to playing on a bigger stage. If Pitt struggles to score early, it could put them off their rhythm, while Mississippi State is used to playing in low-scoring games.
Therefore, we’ll back the Bulldogs to grind out a victory in the First Four, and the best bet from our Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State predictions is on the Bulldogs -2 (-110 at DraftKings Sportsbook).
How to bet on Mississippi State -2 with DraftKings and get $200 in bonus bets
Our experts’ best bet from their Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State predictions is for the Bulldogs to win by more than two points, which you can fade or follow if you join DraftKings today. After you sign up for a new account, deposit $5 or more and risk $5 with or against our experts’ Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State predictions.
After doing so, you’ll immediately receive $200 worth of bonus bets; no promo code is needed. If you want to earn an added boost for March Madness, click here to sign up for a new DraftKings account and risk $5 with or against our experts’ Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State predictions to instantly receive $200 worth of bonus bets without needing a promo code.
Betting odds, lines and spreads for Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State provided by DraftKings
The First Four begins Tuesday night at 6:40 PM ET, and Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State is set to tip off at 9:10 PM ET. At the time of writing, Pitt is a +2 underdog with -110 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, while Mississippi State is a -2 favorite at an identical -110 price. The game total (over/under) is 132.5; the over has -115 odds, while the under carries a -105 price.
An $11 bet on Pittsburgh +2 profits $10 if they pull off an upset or lose by one point, while an $11 wager on Mississippi State -2 returns $10 of winnings if they are victorious by three or more. If Mississippi State wins by two points exactly, both sides of the point spread push, and all wagers are refunded.
Whether you want to fade or follow any of our experts’ Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State predictions, make sure you become a DraftKings Sportsbook member before doing so. That way, you’ll automatically earn $200 worth of bonus bets; you don’t need to win your wager, and a promo code isn’t needed to claim this welcome offer.
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