Inside The Panthers

Pitt at Virginia Tech: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines

The Pitt Panthers are back on the road to face Virginia Tech.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt at Virginia Tech: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines
Pitt at Virginia Tech: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are back on the road this weekend. They'll travel to the notoriously difficult Cassel Coliseum to face. Pitt will put their six-game winning streak on the line against a Virginia Tech team that is dangerous at home. 

Game Info

Opponent: Virginia Tech (15-11 overall, 5-10 ACC)
Time: 5:00 PM EST
Location: Cassel Coliseum; Blacksburg, Virginia
Broadcast: ACC Network and 93.7 The Fan

Odds

The Panthers are 4.5-point underdogs on the road at Cassel Coliseum. 

Three Storylines

Comforts of the Road

Pitt's 6-1 road record in ACC play is the best in the conference, but Virginia Tech is 11-3 in games played at Cassel Coliseum. The Panthers probably wouldn't be underdogs on a neutral court to these Hokies, but oddsmakers clearly believe in the ability of their homecourt to give them the edge. Panthers head coach Jeff Capel said he knows what kind of environment his team is walking into and underscored the need for his team to communicate. 

“It’s very difficult. It’s a great environment," he said. "They have a great fanbase. It gets loud in there. It helps that they’re good so I think they feed off of each other.”

Defense Must Rise to Occasion

If there is one thing Hokies head coach Mike Young has built his career on, it's coaching schematically sound offenses. Young has them as the 32nd-most efficient offense behind the 34th-most assists per game and the 53rd-highest assist rate in Division I. They move the basketball well and it opens up easy looks for their good shooters. 

"I think one of the things that makes them so good is that they get into a really good rhythm," Capel said. "The ball has energy."

Team defense and communication while rotating will be paramount for the Panthers. They will have to play with cohesiveness to disrupt the Hokies' chemistry on the offensive end. 

On the Verge of Clinching

Joe Lunardi has already said he thinks Pitt is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament and he reaffirmed that belief in his latest bracket prediction. He has the Panthers among the 37 teams with an 85% or greater chance of making the field. 

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Published
Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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