Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Pittsburgh and the win they were favored to collect coming into this afternoon. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Sam Houston 52-40.
If Pittsburgh keeps playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 10-2 in no time. On the other hand, Sam Houston will have to make due with a 6-6 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Sam Houston Bearkats @ Pittsburgh Panthers
Current Records: Sam Houston 6-5, Pittsburgh 9-2
How To Watch
What to Know
Bearkats fans better hope the squad plays one heck of a game on Saturday as the odds are decidedly against them. They are taking a road trip to face off against the Pittsburgh Panthers at 1:00 p.m. ET at Petersen Events Center. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Last Monday, Sam Houston was fully in charge, breezing past St. Thomas (TX) 80-54. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 41-21.
Sam Houston smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That’s the most offensive rebounds they’ve posted since back in February.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s and Eastern Kentucky’s contest last Wednesday was close at halftime, but Pittsburgh turned on the heat in the second half with 57 points. Pittsburgh claimed a resounding 96-56 win over Eastern Kentucky. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matches by 19 points or more this season.
Pittsburgh can attribute much of their success to Brandin Cummings, who went 6 for 8 from beyond the arc en route to 30 points. Cummings’ performance made up for a slower matchup against Va. Tech two weeks ago. Zack Austin was another key player, going 6 for 10 en route to 18 points plus three blocks.
Sam Houston pushed their record up to 6-5 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. As for Pittsburgh, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Sam Houston has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 37.3 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Pittsburgh struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 37.2. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we’ll see if one team can grab an edge.
Odds
Pittsburgh is a big 17-point favorite against Sam Houston, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Panthers, as the game opened with the Panthers as a 15.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 152.5 points.
See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
