Pitt at Georgia Tech: Can Panthers Go Streaking?

The Pitt Panthers hope to start their first win streak of the year in ACC play.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are fresh off their best win of the season and eager to kickoff a winning streak as they visit Georgia Tech at the midpoint of a three-game road trip. 

The Yellow Jackets are young and led by a first-year head coach but they are liable to pull an upset on any night, so the Panthers can't afford to take them lightly. 

Game Info
Opponent: Georgia Tech (9-9 overall, 2-5 ACC)
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: McCamish Pavillion; Atlanta, Georgia
Broadcast: ESPNU and 93.7 The Fan

Odds
Pitt is a two-point favorite in this game, with moneyline odds of -137 compared to +114 for Georgia Tech, according to Action Network. The point total line has been set at 144.5. 

Three Storylines

Stacking Good Days
The only reward for good work is more work and the Panthers, who have given themselves little room for error if they want to salvage any kind of hope at a postseason berth, draw a scrappy, up-and-coming Georgia Tech team after knocking off Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. 

To that end, head coach Jeff Capel has implored his team to move on quickly, wipe clean everything from the Duke win and refocus on their next task with just two days of rest in between these two games. 

"We’ve moved onto the next play. We’re going to play a good team on their home court tomorrow night, a team that’s tough, athletic, and really shoots the ball and has been very efficient offensively, and that’s hungry," Capel said. "We did some good things to put us in a position to win the other night. I was really proud of that, but we’ve got to move on and I think we’ve done that."

The Panthers have yet to win consecutive games against Power 5 competition and all that stands in between them and their first winning streak since December is the Yellow Jackets. 

Sleeping Giant
Don't let Georgia Tech's 9-9 record fool you - there's some talent on this team as they work through some growing pains under first-year head coach Damon Stoudamire. 

Electric scorer Miles Kelly returned and is averaging 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Baye Ndongo is one of the best freshmen in the ACC, averaging 12.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.3 rebounds per game while making 62.7% of his 2-pointers and 37.5% of his 3-pointers. They trust their youth, with four underclassmen owning a usage rate of 16% or higher. 

The Yellow Jackets are young but talented and liable to pull an upset at any moment. They've beaten Duke at home, knocked off a ranked Mississippi State squad, played the Blue Devils to a two-possession game at home and beat Clemson on the road last week. 

The Panthers are desperate enough themselves to not overlook anyone but they can't let the emotional high of the Duke win cloud their vision. 

Road Warriors
The Panthers have played just four true road games this season but have won three of them, with a fourth victory having just escaped their grasp. The Panthers dominated West Virginia to snap a long losing streak in the Backyard Brawl and let a double-digit halftime lead against Syracuse slip away late before knocking off Louisville and then-No. 7 Duke. 

Both of Pitt's ACC wins have come away from the Petersen Events Center and their offense takes a noticeable step forward when they aren't shooting on rims in Pittsburgh. That makes their short-term schedule look much more favorable than it might appear to the naked eye. 

The Duke game kicked off a streak of three straight on the road, all against quality opponents. The Blue Devils were far and away the Panthers' biggest challenge during this road trip but Georgia Tech and Miami are no slouches. But they're catching a Yellow Jackets squad that's lost six of seven and an injury-riddled Hurricanes group at the right time to stack some wins. 

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