The ACC has a clear top tier and it features only one team, the Duke Blue Devils. Then, beyond Cooper Flagg’s squad, the league features plenty of teams trying to play themselves off the bubble and firmly into the NCAA Tournament conversation. The 14-6 (5-4) Pitt Panthers and the 15-6 (7-3) Wake Forest Demon Deacons both fall into that category. So, their head-to-head matchup could ultimately be one that the selection committee references in early March.
After losing four-straight in conference play, Jeff Capel’s Panthers have bounced back with wins over Syracuse on Saturday and North Carolina on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh behind strong performances from sophomore guard Jaland Lowe. Now, they’re back on the road for Saturday’s matchup in Winston-Salem against the Demon Deacons who are hitting their own rough patch in the ACC slate.
Steve Forbes led his team to a 7-1 starting in conference play before dropping games to Duke and Louisville. Now, at 7-3, the Demon Deacons need to get back into the win column. Wake Forest is currently listed in the “last four out” by ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi while Pitt has one of the “last four byes.” That could easily flip on Saturday. Here’s how you can watch this ACC showdown.
How to watch Pitt vs. Wake Forest
- Date: Saturday, February 1
- Time: Noon ET
- Venue: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Pitt record: 14-6
- Wake Forest record: 15-6
Pitt vs. Wake Forest odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- Pitt -104
- Wake Forest -115
Spread
- Pitt +1.5 (-115)
- Wake Forest -1.5 (-105)
Total
- 140.5 (over -110/under -110)
Pitt injury report
- N/A
Wake Forest injury report
- Omaha Biliew, F: Questionable (ankle)
- Vincent Ricchiuti, F: OUT
- Will Underwood, G: OUT
Wake Forest and Pitt series history
- Wake Forest all-time record vs. Pitt: 8-8
Pitt vs. Wake Forest prediction
Aside from both sharing space on the bubble heading into February, Pitt and Wake Forest are very similar teams. Both are led by dynamic backcourt duos, Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett for the Panthers and Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth for the Demon Deacons and both play a similarly deliberate pace, ranking 205th and 218th in Kenpom adjusted tempo respectively. However, these teams thrive on opposite ends of the floor.
Jeff Capel’s group is most effective and efficient on the offensive end, averaging nearly 80 points a game and shooting 47% from the field. While, Steve Forbes’s team scores nearly 10 points fewer but holds opponents to 65.9 points a game and under 40% from the field, which is the 13th-lowest opponent field goal percentage in the country. Wake Forest allows the second fewest points in the paint per 100 possessions in the ACC (only trailing Duke), and will Tre’Von Spillers and Efton Reid III stifling opponents on the interior, Pitt will need to knock down outside shots to win this one on the road.
While Lowe, Pitt’s leading scorer is only at 28.2% from behind the arc, the Panthers are shooting 35.8% from distance on the season which is good enough for me to believe they can get a win on the road in Winston -Salem. If Pitt can knock down outside shots, Wake Forest won’t have the offensive firepower to keep pace and with the Panthers making nearly 80% of their free throws as a team, they’ll be reliable in a close game.