Boston College vs. Pittsburgh ACC Tournament First Round Picks and Odds Analysis (Archive)
The ACC Tournament returns to Brooklyn for the first time in four years. Two of the worst teams in the league will open things up on Tuesday afternoon when No. 13 seed Boston College faces No. 12 seed Pitt.
The winner will get No. 5 Wake Forest on Wednesday. Boston College is 11-19, 6-14 in the league, while Pitt is 11-20, 6-14. So the loser will be cleaning out the lockers when the team returns to campus.
The Eagles enter on a three-game losing streak and have lost eight of the last 10. Pitt has lost four straight and eight of 11. Keep reading for an NCAAB odds analysis and the winning pick!
Boston College Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Panthers
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 – 2:00 PM EST at Barclays Center
Langford and Langford
Boston College struggled in its first year under head coach Earl Grant, and, despite the late-season losses, the team showed signs of improvement. The Eagles narrowly missed sweeping No 2 seed Notre Dame this season, winning the first matchup by 16 and losing in overtime at South Bend. B.C.
Also nearly picked up a win to end the regular season, wiping out a double-digit deficit to force overtime at Georgia Tech before falling. If Boston College is going to top Pitt and extend the season, it will lean on the Langfords.
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Makai Ashton-Langford led the team in scoring at 12.1 ppg, as well as being the top assists man for the Eagles. DeMarr Langford was second at 11.1 ppg. He boosted his scoring by more than 5.0 ppg from last season. He scored 23 in the near-miss at Notre Dame, part of a six-game stretch where he scored in double figures each game.
The pair combined to score 38 of Boston College’s 69 points in a 13-point win over Pitt at the end of January to earn a season split with the Panthers. James Karnik has emerged down the stretch, hitting double figures in each of the last eight games, including a pair of double-doubles.
Favorable Matchup?
Pitt is led by John Hugley, who led the Panthers in scoring at 14.7 ppg and rebounding at 7.9. As Hugley goes, so goes Pitt. He scored 32 points against Boston College in early January, helping Pitt escape with a 69-67 win. He was held to nine in the rematch, won easily by the Eagles.
Pitt’s defense let it down in the four-game skid to end the regular season. The Panthers gave up an average of 79 points in the last two weeks. The last three opponents shot 34 of 66 from three. The Panthers ranked No. 319 in the nation in three-point defense. Luckily for them, Boston College is No. 331 in three-point shooting, so the Eagles won’t be in a position to exploit that weakness.
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Pitt coach Jeff Capel has suffered through a rough year and may need a big finish to secure his job for another season. The former Coach K player and assistant isn’t ready to wrap things up this year, however. “My hope is we don’t have anyone thinking (the season is over)", Capel said “As a competitor, you should always think you can go on a run.”
The Pick
Boston College has been struggling with its shot, both inside and out, but with Karnik giving the Eagles an inside presence to help support the Langfords, the offense has shown flashes. Pitt ranks No. 282 in three-point shooting and No. 305 from two, so the Panthers aren’t in the position to outshoot the Eagles.
For this college basketball matchup, look for plenty of missed shots in this one, but the Eagles should pull it out. For the above reasons, invest in Boston College with your NCAAB picks.
NCAAB Pick: Boston College -2 (-115) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.