Pitt at Duke: Panthers Face Long Odds

The Pitt Panthers face some long odds if they want to pull out a win over Duke.

DURHAM -- The Pitt Panthers are reeling following another ugly loss, this one at home to rival Syracuse, and the road only got harder from there as they hit the road. 

The Panthers are in Durham, North Carolina this weekend to take on a Duke team that is red-hot and has their number over the last four meetings. It's going to take a Herculean effort for Pitt to pull out a win. 

Game Info
Opponent: No. 7 Duke (13-3 overall, 4-1 ACC)
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium; Durham, North Carolina
Broadcast: ACC Network and 93.7 The Fan

Odds

Pitt is a 13.5-point underdog to the Blue Devils, with moneyline odds of +810 compared to -1450 for Duke, according to Action Network. The point total line has been set at 143.5. 

Three Storylines

Panthers Face Long Odds
The Panthers were embarrassed on their home floor the last time they faced Duke. In similar fashion to really every meeting with the Blue Devils the past two years, they were simply overwhelmed by a combination of talent, strength and athleticism that they simply weren’t on par with. Now Pitt has to contend with all those same elements while playing inside the unfriendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium, a building where this team has lost five straight games dating back to 1979.

These are long odds for the Panthers, who desperately need a win to stabilize a season that is spiraling quickly and this is about as unfortunate an opponent Pitt could possibly face while riding a streak during which they've lost four of five. Even last year, when Pitt had a better and older squad, the Blue Devils proved to be too much and there's little reason to expect this game to go any differently. 

Which Blake Will He Be?
Pitt's Blake Hinson, one of the country's best scorers when he's on, has run cold recently. He entered conference play as one of Division I's leading scorers but Hinson has scored 20 points just once in his last seven games. He's averaging 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game over that same span and making just 32.2% of his field goals and 26.4% of his 3-pointers. 

Any formula for a Pitt win over Duke includes Hinson playing a vintage game, one in which he bombs 3-pointers from long range and gives the Blue Devils an unguardable challenge on the defensive end. He still has the capability to heat up quick and become a complete game-wrecker but that hasn't happened in weeks and the Panthers need that version of Hinson to return desperately. 

How Will Pitt Adjust?
The Panthers have been dominated in the recent series against Duke, losing their last four against the Blue Devils by an average margin of defeat of 21.75 points and failing to crack 70 points in any of those games. 

So what's the answer for Jeff Capel's squad? It's unclear. Even he seemed to be at a loss the last time he met with local media following the Syracuse loss. With his team struggling to put the ball in the basket - and it's not just an isolated phenomenon, everyone is floundering on offense right now - there are few obvious buttons to push that can provide a spark. 

Capel said he's searching but answers are in short supply and the Panthers are facing a team that has represented a poor matchup for them going back years. How much adjusting can they do? And how much will it matter if they do? The Panthers need this win desperately, but there aren't many avenues to get there. 

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