The VCU Rams will take on the Pittsburgh Panthers on Thursday in the 2022 Legends Classic at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., with tip-off scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The Rams are coming off a 22-10 season where they failed to make the NCAA Tournament and are 2-1 on the year while Pitt went 11-21 last season and is 1-2 in 2022-23. Jeff Capel is now in his fifth season at the helm for Pitt while Mike Rhoades is in his sixth at VCU and both coaches are facing higher expectations for this season.
Pitt is coming off a 91-60 loss to No. 20 Michigan on Wednesday night while VCU lost a 63-59 nail-biter against Arizona State. The Rams are currently listed as 2.5-point favorites in the latest VCU vs. Pitt odds, while the over/under is set at 134. Before making any Pitt vs. VCU picks or predictions you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past six years, the proprietary computer model has generated more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on VCU vs. Pitt. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Pitt vs. VCU:
- VCU vs. Pitt spread: VCU -2.5
- VCU vs. Pitt over-under: 134 points
- VCU vs. Pitt picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why VCU can cover
The Rams held a seven-point halftime lead over ASU on Wednesday night and the defensive intensity of Rhoades' squad gave the Sun Devils fits all night. Arizona State shot just 36.2% from the floor and 23.8% from the 3-point line but offensive issues ultimately undid VCU.
The Rams only managed 24 points in the second half and turned the ball over 16 times but VCU will be looking to double down on the defensive end to compensate for those early-season offensive woes. VCU has forced 58 turnovers in its first three games of the season and that sort of pressure could be problematic for a Pitt squad that has now lost its last two games by a combined 56 points.
Why Pitt can cover
Pitt began its season with an 80-58 win over UT-Martin thanks to its own brand of stifling defense. However, the Panthers have allowed their last two opponents to shoot a combined 55.6% from the floor in losses to Michigan and West Virginia.
Luckily, VCU doesn't have the same level of offensive firepower as either of those two programs and Pitt's depth could be an advantage. The Panther's currently utilize a nine-man rotation while VCU only goes eight deep.
How to make Pitt vs. VCU picks
The model has simulated VCU vs. Pitt 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins VCU vs. Pitt? And which side of the spread hits over 60% percent of the time? Visit SportsLine to see which side of the Pitt vs. VCU spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $1,200 on its college basketball picks the last six years, and find out.
