The Pittsburgh Panthers are off to an impressive 21-8 start to the 2022-23 NCAA Basketball season, are first in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and are on a two-game winning streak. They are coming off a win against the Syracuse Orange (99-82) in their last outing. It was a great display of complete teamwork in the win as their starting six players registered themselves in double digits, which led to a 17-point win.
With the arrival of March Madness, the Panthers will now take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who are on a disappointing 10-19 start to the season, are 14th in the same conference, on a horrible seven-game losing streak, and faced a defeat to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (66-58) in their previous outing. Ven-Allen Lubin was the only player who made a significant impact by scoring 19 points. All other players failed to make any significant contribution.
The Fighting Irish will now host this game at the Joyce Center on Wednesday (March 1) where they will have a monumental task to avoid an eighth consecutive defeat. On the other hand, the Panthers will look to secure their third straight win.
Pittsburgh Panthers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Betting Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Over/Under |
| Pittsburgh Panthers | -170 | -3.5 (-110) | O 142.5 (-110) |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | +150 | +3.5 (-110) | U 142.5 (-110) |
Pittsburgh Panthers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Key Stats
The Panthers have had one of the best starts to the season so far. Their conference record is the best at 14-4 whereas their away record is also on the positive side at 7-3. The team is well above average in offense, scoring 75.8 points per game, which ranks 84th in the country, along with 34.0 offensive rebounds, while conceding 68.4 points per game, which ranks 133rd in the country.
Blake Hinson leads the offense for the Panthers, averaging 15.8 ppg while Jamarius Burton leads the field goal percentage at 49.5. Nelly Cummings is provided 5.0 assists per game, the highest in the team. Interestingly, Blake Hinson leads the defense with 6.2 defensive rebounds as well and Jamarius Burton with 0.9 steals per game. Federiko Federiko is averaging 1.9 blocks per game.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have struggled so far in the ACC. Their conference record is just a mere 2-16 at the moment. However, their majority wins have come at home and the record stands at 10-8. The team is just below the average mark in offense, scoring 69.3 points per game, which ranks 241st in the nation, along with 28.8 offensive rebounds, while conceding 71.4 points per game, which ranks 224th in the nation.
Nate Laszewski is the highest scorer for the Fighting Irish, averaging 14.1 points per game while Ven-Allen Lubin has the best field goal percentage at 59.5. Trey Wertz leads the team in assists at 3.2 per game.
Pittsburgh Panthers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Match Details
Fixture: Pittsburgh Panthers @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 07:00 p.m ET
Venue: Joyce Center, Notre Dame, Indiana
Pittsburgh Panthers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Prediction
Despite a number of injuries, the Panthers have still maintained their position at the top of the conference. They are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games after getting a score of 90+ in their last game and 9-1-1 against the spread in their last eleven games away from home.
The two teams have not played against each other yet. Considering the statistics and form of both teams, the Panthers are miles ahead of the Fighting Irish. Even though they are playing away from home tonight, they still have the upper hand. Expect the Panthers to cover the spread without much difficulty.
