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We all knew this was going to be a tough stretch and it looked the part against Duke for the Panthers, who dropped to 13-6, and 3-3 in the conference in an ugly loss. But it was also a road game and you have to consider that Pitt looked much better in the second half. They will have to build on that because now Louisville comes into town on Sunday.
Rick Pitino brings the Cardinals in with a 15-3 record overall and they are 3-2 in the conference. They are ranked 10th in the nation, but the Panthers have at least a couple of small things going for them heading into the contest. First, Louisville has not played since being thumped by Duke one week ago. They have been off for a while and could be rusty. Of course they could be in a very unhappy mood as well, so there's that, too. Second, Pitt is at home and in a big game on national TV. The students and The Zoo should be in full force and hopefully give the Panthers an edge. If they are going to pull a massive upset, the Zoo will have to be on top of their game early and often.
Speaking of The Zoo, the start time is also a little beneficial. They would still show up for a noon start after a Saturday night in Oakland, but it should help that the game comes a little later in the day. As mentioned, game time is at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow at The Pete and it will be broadcast on CBS.
Below are the official picks for the game and one person must have watched Rocky IV or something before making his selection. Let's hope he's right and the rest of us are wrong. Comment below to let us know who you believe will come out on top.
Anson (6-3): Louisville
Chris (6-3): Louisville
Jim (6-3): Pitt
Aron (5-4): Louisville
JD (5-4): Louisville
Stephen (5-4): Louisville
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