I'll preface this by telling you all I'm not much of a basketball handicapper. Though I've tried, there just isn't a lot of learning tools out there for basketball. What I have learned is that it's more situational than team v team and Duke v Pitt tonight is a situation too good to pass up.
Pitt still considers itself a top tier basketball school. I say "still" even though they never really were, but in their mind they are, and were. They made a few decent runs at the sweet 16 and going to the Elite 8 in 08-09 was their crowning achievement. "Best of the rest" is what they were called around here and I'm not sure they were ever really that good, and I'm a fan.
Fast forward to today where they still see themselves as that program they were under Jamie Dixon. Wins over Louisville and a then ranked FSU team have them very confident they can play with the top teams in the country. The problem is, they can't.
The win over FSU is now surely tainted with FSU losing outright to Boston College 6 days later. Beating Louisville was certainly impressive, though.
Pitt comes off a loss to Syracuse who has been beaten by multiple unranked teams this year, though they do have a win over Duke, something Pitt won't get.
Pitt can score points, no doubt and Pitt can play with the teams in their own class, but Duke isn't in that class. Look at the game against North Carolina. Pitt was outclassed at every position and lost by 25. I saw that game, they could have lost by whatever number NC wanted it to be. I don't believe Duke will be in a mood to let this one be decided by free throws late in the game.
Pitt is just outclassed and won't be able to stay in this one. I'm not leaving myself any wiggle room here by saying it will be close for a half and Duke ultimately pulls away. I'm saying this is an ass kicking from the opening tip. Duke is just better at every position, by a lot.
Duke -7 FH
Duke -12 Full Game
Ima hammer this one.
Pitt still considers itself a top tier basketball school. I say "still" even though they never really were, but in their mind they are, and were. They made a few decent runs at the sweet 16 and going to the Elite 8 in 08-09 was their crowning achievement. "Best of the rest" is what they were called around here and I'm not sure they were ever really that good, and I'm a fan.
Fast forward to today where they still see themselves as that program they were under Jamie Dixon. Wins over Louisville and a then ranked FSU team have them very confident they can play with the top teams in the country. The problem is, they can't.
The win over FSU is now surely tainted with FSU losing outright to Boston College 6 days later. Beating Louisville was certainly impressive, though.
Pitt comes off a loss to Syracuse who has been beaten by multiple unranked teams this year, though they do have a win over Duke, something Pitt won't get.
Pitt can score points, no doubt and Pitt can play with the teams in their own class, but Duke isn't in that class. Look at the game against North Carolina. Pitt was outclassed at every position and lost by 25. I saw that game, they could have lost by whatever number NC wanted it to be. I don't believe Duke will be in a mood to let this one be decided by free throws late in the game.
Pitt is just outclassed and won't be able to stay in this one. I'm not leaving myself any wiggle room here by saying it will be close for a half and Duke ultimately pulls away. I'm saying this is an ass kicking from the opening tip. Duke is just better at every position, by a lot.
Duke -7 FH
Duke -12 Full Game
Ima hammer this one.
