Thursday, March 15, 2007

Game preview #15: Pittsburgh vs. Wright State

(3) Pittsburgh -10 vs. (14) Wright State (O/U: 119.5)

Reviewing the pre-requisites for a 14-over-3 upset, this one doesn't qualify at all. Wright State is not a high scoring squad, in fact they barely score at all, the Raiders averaged a paltry 64 points per game this season. Wright State is led by DaShaun Wood, a do-everything PG that was the Horizon Conference player of the year. Really though, they don't have much else. They played ok for much of the season, then turned it on at the end, upset Butler in February, and then upset the Bulldogs again in the Horzon title game to make it to the big dance.

Wright State's lack of any interior presence really could spell doom for them, especially against a Pittsburgh team that can pound the ball inside with Aaron Gray. Not to mention the 6-10 Levon Kendall, and the 6-8/245 Tyrell Biggs off the bench. Pitt's guard play is underrated as well, Levance Fields is athletic enough to hang with Wood and make the rest of Wright State beat them.

The play to make: Wright State has become a pretty vogue upset pick, but I think that's reaching. So long as the line isn't outrageous, you should really never take the dog unless you expect them to win outright. That being said, it's hard to bank on Pittsburgh winning this game by double-digits. Make a small play on Pittsburgh -10 in this one, and as low as the Under seems, it still might be a good play.

Who to take based on which mascot would win in a fight: Not sure what a raider is really, but for some reason their logo is a coyote-looking thing. Still, they're going against a pretty pissed-off looking panther. Edge: Pittsburgh

Who Suzy from accounting is taking: Aaron Gray is delicious. Edge: Pittsburgh

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