Boston College vs Pittsburgh ACC Tournament Picks and Predictions: Eagles Fly High Over Panthers

The ACC tournament gets kicked off with an early showdown between the Boston College Eagles and Pittsburgh Panthers at the Barclays Center on Tuesday.

Both of these teams are coming off disappointing regular seasons, but anything can happen in the conference tournament. Boston College is sitting as the college basketball betting favorites, but both sides will have a renewed energy with the clean slate this week provides. 

Will the Eagles move to 3-0 ATS in this series with a win over the Panthers in the first round? Find out in our free college basketball picks and predictions for Boston College vs. Pittsburgh 

Boston College vs Pittsburgh odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

Boston College won by 13 points when these teams last met, but the Eagles were only favored by 1.5 points when this line became available. Meanwhile, the total in this one opened at 128 and is now available at either 128 or 128.5. 

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.

Boston College vs Pittsburgh predictions

• Prediction: Boston College -1.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 128.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Boston College -1.5 (-110)

Predictions made on 3/06/2022 at 9:28 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Boston College vs Pittsburgh game info

• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2022
• Tip-off: 2:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ACC Network

Boston College at Pittsburgh betting preview

Injuries

Boston College: No injuries to report.
Pittsburgh: Nike Sibande G (Out).
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.

Betting trend to know

Boston College is 5-1 ATS in its last six games against Pittsburgh. Find more NCAA betting trends for Boston College vs. Pittsburgh.

Boston College vs Pittsburgh picks and predictions

Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.

Spread analysis

Boston College and Pittsburgh met twice this season, with the two programs both picking up wins at home. However, the Eagles covered in both of those contests, and they were less reliant on their home fans than the Panthers were — which is important with this game being played on a neutral floor, in Brooklyn.

Pittsburgh won by only two points at home, whereas Boston College won by 13 when the teams clashed at Conte Forum. Also, the Eagles are 5-1 ATS in this head-to-head series dating back to the start of 2018, which shows this isn’t a matchup they are intimidated by.

Neither one of these teams boast impressive metrics on either end of the floor this season, but the Eagles definitely have the more trustworthy profile.

While Pittsburgh is just 237th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (all efficiency stats from KenPom.com) and 152nd in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency this season, Boston College is 164th in the country in adjusted offense and 151st in adjusted defense.

That gives the Eagles an advantage on both ends of the floor, even if it’s negligible on defense. 

One thing to keep an eye on here is the fact offensive rebounding has been one of the few focal points for Pittsburgh this season. That, however, is not something that should trouble this Eagles team.

Boston College might not have it all figured out, but guys like James Karnik, Quinten Post and T.J. Bickerstaff can be counted on to hold their own on the glass in this one. 

The Eagles should also get some good play out of their guards in this game, as Makai Ashton-Langford, DeMarr Langford Jr., and Jaeden Zackery combine to average 33.6 points per game in the backcourt. With Pittsburgh’s defense being somewhat of a disaster, the trio should all get good looks in this game. 

Prediction: Boston College -1.5 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

These two teams combined to score 136 points the first time they played this year but scored only 125 points in their meeting on January 30. Now, they’ll be the first game in a gigantic professional arena, which means there could be some serious nervousness at the tip.

Both teams also happen to be better on the defensive end than they are on offense, which means the Under could ultimately be the right play when looking to bet on the total here. 

In Jeff Capel’s career as a head coach, the Under happens to be 30-14 when his team is trying to avenge a same-season loss against an opponent. It should also be noted that these are two of the worst three-point shooting teams in all of college basketball this year.

Pittsburgh is the better shooting team between these two, and the Panthers only hit 31.5% of their shots from deep. That’s another reason to like the Under, as the shooting likely isn’t going to get better in this building. 

Prediction: Under 128.5 (-110)

Best bet

When a pair of lousy teams are meeting in the early rounds of a conference tournament, it’s never exactly easy to pick a winner. However, you can’t deny that getting a team that’s 2-0 against the spread versus its opponent in a season series at essentially pick’em is a good value.

This Eagles team isn’t much better than the Panthers, but they do have a slight edge. That’s enough to make it tough to lay off Earl Grant’s squad here. 

Not only is Pittsburgh 2-4 both straight-up and ATS in games with a line of +3 to -3 this season, but the Panthers are also 2-6 both SU and ATS when playing in March over the last three seasons. Pittsburgh is also 1-8 both SU and ATS when coming off back-to-back Overs this year. 

Overall, you’re better off riding with the favorite in this one, especially considering Ashton-Langford is going to be the one with the ball in his hands the most for Boston College. He’s an experienced player and can be trusted to set the tone in this game.  

Pick: Boston College -1.5 (-110)

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