California Golden Bears vs Pittsburgh Panthers Prediction, 1/1/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: California Golden Bears vs Pittsburgh Panthers

Date: Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Location: Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: ESPN+

Petersen Events Center is the location where the Pittsburgh Panthers (10-2) will attempt to defeat the California Golden Bears (7-5) on Wednesday.

The California Golden Bears stepped onto the hardwood against San Diego State and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 71-50 in their last game. In relation to personal fouls, the Golden Bears finished with 15 and San Diego State racked up 17 personal fouls. They also buried 9 out of their 26 tries from beyond the arc. San Diego State ended up going 80.0% at the free throw line by knocking down 12 of 15 shots. Moreover, San Diego State collected 41 rebounds (16 offensive, 25 defensive), but didn't have a block. San Diego State recorded 6 assists and had 13 steals for the game. In relation to defense, California allowed 37.3% from the floor on 25 of 67 shooting. They also distributed 4 assists for this contest while forcing the opposition into 13 turnovers and earning 8 steals. In reference to hauling in boards, they earned a total of 31 with 12 of them being of the offensive variety. At the charity stripe, the Golden Bears knocked down 17 of their 21 tries for a rate of 81.0%. California ended with a 25.5% FG percentage (14 of 55) and buried 5 of 24 shots from beyond the arc.

Jeremiah Wilkinson is a player who played a role in this game. He racked up 13 points on 3 of 11 shooting. He played 23 minutes and snagged 6 rebounds. He walked away from this one shooting 27.3% from the field and also recorded 2 assists.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Tonight

California will enter this contest with a mark of 7-5 so far this season. They have an average of 78.9 points per outing (104th in the nation) while shooting 45.8% from the field. The Golden Bears are shooting 36.5% on shots from beyond the arc (99 of 271) and 74.4% from the free throw line. As a unit, California is pulling down 37.8 boards per contest and has totaled 127 dimes for the season, which has them ranked 360th in college in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession by turning the ball over 13.9 times per game and as a team they commit 17.3 fouls per game.

When they are on defense, the Golden Bears are able to force 11.9 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 19.8 fouls. They are giving up 36.6% from beyond the arc while they are 292nd in the nation in opponents points per game (75.8). The Golden Bears defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 46.3% (328 of 709) and they concede 32.0 boards per contest as a squad. They are ranked 88th in college in giving up assists to their opponents with 145 relinquished on the season.

In their last game, the Pittsburgh Panthers took home the win by a final score of 110-78 when they played Sam Houston State. When it comes to cleaning the glass, Pittsburgh permitted Sam Houston State to snag 19 in all (4 offensive). They went 30.4% from 3-point land by hitting 7 of 23 and finished the game at 11 out of 20 from the charity stripe (55.0%). The Panthers permitted Sam Houston State to make 30 out of their 56 tries from the field which left them shooting 53.6% in the matchup. When this game wrapped up, the Panthers finished 38 for 65 from the floor which had them shooting 58.5%. In terms of shooting from 3-point land, Pittsburgh buried 16 out of 31 attempts (51.6%). They were able to knock down 18 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 78.3%. Sam Houston State committed 18 fouls in the matchup which got the Panthers to the free throw line for a total of 23 tries. They also coughed up the ball 10 times, while recording 5 steals in this contest. The Panthers were able to snag 21 defensive boards and 12 offensive boards for a total of 33 in the game.

Ishmael Leggett ended up having an impact for the Panthers for the contest. He recorded 23 points in his 31 minutes on the hardwood and accounted for 3 dimes for this game. He converted 8 of 12 for the game for a field goal rate of 66.7%, and tallied 5 rebounds.

Pittsburgh has a mark of 10-2 on the campaign. As an offensive team, the Panthers are shooting 48.9% from the field, which ranks them 40th in Division 1. Pittsburgh has scored 1,008 pts this season (84.0 per game) and they pull in 37.1 rebounds per game. They are assisting teammates 14.9 times per game (133rd in the country) and they are giving up possession 10.0 times per game. The Panthers commit 16.4 personal fouls every game and they connect on 76.9% from the free throw line.

The Pittsburgh defense surrenders 29.9% on shots from 3-point land (80 of 268) and opponents are converting on 66.5% of their shots from the charity stripe. They relinquish 10.5 dimes and 33.3 total boards per game, which is 37th and 136th in the country. The Panthers on the defensive side of the court are 103rd in the nation in PPG surrendered with 67.9. They have forced 12.9 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 41.8% from the floor (122nd in college hoops).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Pittsburgh

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here