Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Duke Blue Devils Prediction & Match Preview - December 29th, 2020 | NCAA Men's Basketball

The No. 20 Duke Blue Devils are hosting the Pittsburgh Panthers on Tuesday in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup. The Blue Devils enter this game with an overall record of 3-2 (1-0 in the ACC), while the Panthers have a record of 5-2 (1-1 ACC) to open their college basketball schedule.

Match Details

Fixture: Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Duke Blue Devils - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Tuesday, December 29th, 2020, 8 PM ET

Venue: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina

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Pittsburgh Panthers Preview

ACC Men's Basketball Tournament - Second Round

After their stunning, season-opening loss to St. Francis, the Pittsburgh Panthers have rallied to go 5-1 in the last six games of their 2020-21 season, carrying a 5-2 overall record into Tuesday's matchup. They're 1-1 in league play, with a 70-55 win over Miami and a 64-54 loss to Louisville. Despite showing signs of great improvement this year, the Panthers will need to have an excellent performance in order to take out the Duke Blue Devils.

Key Player - Au'Diese Toney

The star of the court has been Au'Diese Toney thus far this year for the Pittsburgh Panthers. Toney has shined for the Panthers all season, averaging 16.2 points and five rebounds per game. Toney will be looked to for leadership from his teammates, as the star forward Justin Champagnie is out with injury.

Game-high 1️⃣4️⃣ points for Diese.Panthers extend the lead to nine over the Hurricanes. Pitt 46, Miami 37 | 10:46 2nd#H2P | #ZooEra pic.twitter.com/h7GYOUqXnd

— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) December 17, 2020

Pittsburgh Panthers Predicted Lineup

F Abdoul Karim Coulibaly, F Noah Collier, G Ithiel Horton, G Au'Diese Toney, G Nike Sibande

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Duke Blue Devils Preview

Central Arkansas v Duke

The 20th-ranked Duke Blue Devils have had a relatively underwhelming start to their season, entering Tuesday's matchup with a 3-2 overall record. Like many teams, the Blue Devils have been forced to adjust to schedule changes due to COVID-19. The Blue Devils won their first ACC conference game, 75-65 at Notre Dame, and will hope to improve to 2-0 in ACC play with a win over the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Key Player - Matthew Hurt

Matthew Hurt has been on an absolute tear since the beginning of this 2020-21 college season, and is showing no signs of slowing down. Hurt is averaging 18.8 points and 7.6 rebounds through his first five games, and will be looking to improve upon those numbers against the undersized Panthers' defenders.

Last specialty shooter to mention is stretch-big Matthew Hurt from Duke. Hurt is a consistent 39% 3-point threat... his release is a tad slow & overhead, but w/ his size he can still get it offThe more pick-and-pop usage, the better for his #NBADraft stock pic.twitter.com/dlPAmkyxwm

— The Box and One (@TheBoxAndOne_) December 19, 2020

Duke Blue Devils Predicted Lineup

F Matthew Hurt, F Patrick Tape, G DJ Steward, G Jeremy Roach, G Jordan Goldwire

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Pitt vs. Duke Prediction

Expect the Pittsburgh Panthers to come ready to play, but with the size and talent of the Duke Blue Devils, it's hard to see them losing this game. Look for a close game, but a Duke victory.

Where to watch Pitt vs. Duke

The game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.

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