Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for ACC Tournament First Round

Reed Wallach | Mar 10, 2025

Mar 8, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Micah Shrewsberry talks to guard Markus Burton (3) in the first overtime period against the Cal Bears at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The ACC Tournament tips off on Tuesday afternoon with Pitt and Notre Dame facing off in an afternoon matchup. 

Pitt has sputtered to the finish of its season, losing four of its last five in the regular season and eight of the last 11 as the team’s NCAA Tournament hopes are all but finished. Can the team find its form in the ACC Tournament? The team is a favorite on Tuesday afternoon against a Notre Dame team that beat Pitt in South Bend a few weeks back. 

On a neutral floor, can the Panthers extend its postseason hopes? 

Here’s our betting preview. 

Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Pittsburgh: -3.5 (-115)
• Notre Dame: +3.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Pittsburgh: -176
• Notre Dame: +146

Total: 137.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame How to Watch

• Date: Tuesday, March 11
• Game Time: 2:00 PM EST
• Venue: Spectrum Center
• How to Watch (TV): ACC Network
• Pittsburgh Record: 17-14
• Notre Dame Record: 14-17

Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame Key Players to Watch

Pittsburgh

Jaland Lowe: Despite Pitt falling off in a big way, Lowe has been producing, scoring at least 13 points in the last six games after missing the game prior. He is not a threat from the perimeter, but is a shot creator for himself and others, ranking sixth in assist rate in ACC play and drawing fouls at a top 10 rate. 

Notre Dame

Markus Burton: The sophomore has been on a tear of late, which started against Pitt back on February 22nd. The sophomore scored 20 points, his first of five in a row with at least 20. Most recently, he dropped 42 on Cal in a four overtime thriller that the Fighting Irish won. The key for Burton has been his improvement from three-point range, hitting 39% of his shots from distance after shooting 30% in his freshman season.

Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame Prediction and Pick

I can’t trust the current form of Pitt, which has dropped eight of its last 11 games as the team has been on the wrong end of some poor shot variance, allowing teams to shoot nearly 39% from beyond the arc since February 1st. 

Notre Dame has had a poor season as well and the team has been far from competitive in ACC play, but are seemingly trending up with two straight wins to close the season against Stanford and Cal. 

In the only meeting this season, Notre Dame pulled out a close win as Pitt became over-reliant on its three-point shooting against a compact Irish defense. I expect that to continue in this one as the Panthers continue to hoist from distance which plays into the hands of Notre Dame, who plays at a slow tempo and is a physical offense that can get ahead with its ability to get to the free throw line, ranking fourth in ACC free throw rate. 

Given the Panthers current form, I can’t trust them to cover a point spread that’s over a few possessions.

PICK: Notre Dame +3.5 (-105, Available at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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