Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Monday, Feb. 3

Reed Wallach | Feb 3, 2025

Jan 7, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Pitt Panthers head coach Jeff Capel (right) talks to guard Jaland Lowe (15) during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images / Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Pitt and Virginia meet in ACC action on Monday. 

The Panthers are firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble as February picks up, and while the team can’t necessarily improve its standing on Monday, the team must avoid another loss to a poor ACC unit like Virginia to remain in the mix. 

Oddsmakers are counting on a blowout, but is that justified? Here’s our betting preview for this conference clash. 

Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Virginia: +12.5 (-105)
• Pittsburgh: -12.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Virginia: +660
• Pittsburgh: -1050

Total: 131.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Virginia vs. Pittsburgh How to Watch

• Date: Monday, February 3rd
• Game Time: 9:00 PM EST
• Venue: Peterson Events Center
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN
• Virginia Record: 10-12
• Pittsburgh Record: 14-7

Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Key Players to Watch 

Virginia

Isaac McKneely: The veteran guard has been one of the few bright spots for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 13 points per game while maintaining a high level of 3-point shooting. He is hitting 42% of his 3s despite a slight uptick in usage this season both in terms of shot volume but also overall usage, upping his assists per game from less than two to over three this season. 

Pittsburgh

Jaland Lowe: The Pitt point guard draws a favorable matchup against Virginia’s conservative defense that struggles to pressure the ball. Lowe is averaging north of 17 points per game with four rebounds and nearly six assists, but is shooting only 38% from the field. Can he find efficiency in a must-win game at home? 

Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Prediction and Pick

It’s tough to trust Pitt as double digit favorites against any team at the moment. 

The Panthers are a middling 5-5 in ACC play, but have won only one game by double digits thus far and have continued to post suspect results throughout the month of January and into February. The matchup against Virginia may not yield a "get right" spot for the Panthers.

Pitt’s defense is compact and built to force turnovers on teams forcing the issue into the paint. However, Virginia is a strong ball handling unit and are reliant on shooting from the perimeter, so the team is more than willing to run its normal offense against the Panthers middling defense. 

Meanwhile, Pitt doesn’t crash the glass off of misses, which is predicated on a high rate of dribble jumpers, ranking 16th in ACC offensive rebounding rate. Against Virginia’s prodding tempo, KenPom ranks the team 362nd in adjusted tempo, there may not be enough possessions to rip off a blowout win like the point spread is expecting. 

While many will flock to the "must-win" spot for Pitt, I’ll grab the points in a likely limited possessions affair. 

PICK: Virginia +12.5

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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