Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
-
Edgar Chaput
Both sides are coming off sloppy losses in their respective conferences. While First Four contestants are rarely given much of a chance, as the old saying goes, you gotta start somewhere.
Mississippi is awarded status as a slight favourite at -2.5 on the NCAA odds. The over-under is expected to be around 156.0.
There is an original March Madness contest.
Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Both clubs sport respectable records on the season, with the Bulldogs sitting at 21-12 and the Panthers at 22-11. The latter is entangled in third place with three other schools in the ACC. As for Mississippi, their overall record belies the struggles they’ve gone through within the SEC. They’ve only mustered an 8-10 win-loss tally against their closest rivals.
If we include the regional playoffs, the Panthers are not exactly coming into the tournament hot. The program has gone 3-4 in its last seven outings, including a devastating defeat at the hands of Duke in the playoffs. The same goes for their efforts against the spread, although a couple of games had reverse results (a win that didn’t cover and a loss that did). The over feels like a good bet in Panthers’ games, as it’s cashed in six of those seven games we keep mentioning.
Much the same can be said about the Bulldogs. They split their six final regular season games, won the first playoff game and lost the second. A bit more alarming for betters is that they haven’t been able to translate as many of those games into covers. Mississippi has not done so four games in a row and only three times in their last eight.
Pittsburgh Panthers (11)
Pittsburgh met Duke in the ACC quarterfinals. Their identical conference records of 14-6 suggested fans should have been in for a good game, but it was a resounding victory in Duke’s favour.
From the opening minutes, the Blue Devils manhandled the Panthers, stifling Pittsburgh’s attack. They made every shot difficult, and when the Panthers saw a clearing, Duke defenders were present for emphatic blocks. The Blue Devils took what they wanted, when they wanted it in the paint, making easy flushes all game long. Earning relatively easy baskets in the paint will make the stats sheet look nice, and the 62.1 per cent field goal efficiency Duke earned was simply too overwhelming. Kyle Filipowski had a game-high 22 points. As for Pittsburgh, it was substitute Nike Sibande who provided the brightest spark with 17 points. Said spark was never going to cut it, however, as the Panthers fell 96-69.
Mississippi State Bulldogs (11)
As for the SEC quarterfinals, the head-to-head was not as favourable towards the Bulldogs. As alluded to, they failed to leave an impression within their own division this season. In contrast, the Alabama Crimson Tide went 16-2 against their rivals, in addition to being one of the NCAA favourites, period.
And it looked like it too. A 41-21 halftime lead was too much for the Bulldogs to overcome, although they put in an honourable effort during the final 20 minutes. College ball isn’t the NBA, where three-point efficiency is virtually a make-or-break affair, but hitting only one of 13 attempts was always going to sink Mississippi. Alabama didn’t even do great at 13-for-37, but they were better than 7.7 per cent. Four Crimson Tide players hit double-digit points, including one sub, whereas only two Bulldogs accomplished the feat: Tolu Smith (17) and Dashawn Davis (13). Make the final 72-49.