Pittsburgh has had some March Madness betting trouble to kick off the NCAA Tournament, as they’ve failed to cover the online betting spread in each of their first two matchups. The road doesn’t get any easier for the Panthers, who will meet Xavier in one of the East region’s Sweet 16 contests, and sportsbook odds are giving Pitt another chance to prove they’re worthy of the top seed.

The No.4 Musketeers flew under the radar into the Tournament, due to losing two of their last three, including a fall in the Atlantic-10 semifinals to Temple. After shooting 53.7% against Portland State in the opening round, the Musketeers’ rock-solid defense took over in their second-round win over Wisconsin as they held the Badgers to 28.6% while shooting 39.1% themselves. Xavier is fifth in the nation in rebounding, and their prowess on the glass was a major factor in their first two wins, as they were +16 over their opponents.

The No.1 Panthers did their best to hand East Tennessee State a win in the opening round, emerging with a 10-point victory despite a whopping 18 turnovers. Then, it was advantages in rebounding and at the foul line that gave Pitt an eight-point win over Oklahoma State that was far closer than the score indicated. The Panthers, who are second in rebounding in the country, pounded the Cowboys 39-21 on the boards, including 18-5 on the offensive end, and Sam Young had a monster game with 32 points for Pitt. Co-Big East Player of the Year DeJuan Blair put up a double-double over the Panthers’ first two wins, averaging 18.5 points and and 14 boards.

Pitt has a March Madness betting spread of seven points against the Musketeers, who lost by 18 to the Panthers at home in 1998. The Panthers have reached the Sweet 16 twice in the last three years, and they have all the tools to finally break through. However, they’ll be facing an Xavier team that has a pair of Elite Eight appearances in the last five years, including last year. The Musketeers will bang with the Panthers in the post, but Pitt’s edge at the point-guard position could be the difference. Levance Fields has far more experience than his Xavier counterparts, sophomore Dante Jackson and freshman Terrell Holloway, and he was much improved in the win over Oklahoma State. Xavier will keep the Panthers from covering the spread, but take Pittsburgh as your March Madness betting pick to win outright.

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