Against the Odds: Pitt opens as a favorite against Buffalo

Pitt suffered a significant upset last week in The City Game to Duquesne and will take the court for the first time, trying to bounce back this evening. Pitt stands at 6-2 on the young season, after their setback. They will play host to the Buffalo Bulls, of the MAC Conference. The Bulls are 4-4 so far under second year head coach Nate Oats.

Pitt will look to gain Jamel Artis back from suspension and will have the the familiar setting of The Pete to help them try and bounce back. Vegas has set Pitt as an 11 point favorite over the Bulls, as of this writing. The smart money says Pitt will bounce back and history says they will as well, thanks to being at home, against a non-conference opponent. They will have to work for it though.

Buffalo does not have any victories of great importance, so they will be hungry to gain one over a power five foe, in Pitt. The Bulls have tangled with some of the best of the best though, after suffering losses to highly ranked Xavier and Creighton. Therefore, they are well tested this season, despite the .500 mark.

Oats took over for Bobby Hurley last season and despite some big obstacles pulled of a run to the NCAA Tourney. They pulled an upset in the MAC post-season to get there and did it without some of their main players, who were not on the roster by the time the regular season was over last season. They eventually bowed out in the first round, but not before throwing a scare into Miami. They gave Hurricane fans fits and will look to do the same against Pitt tonight.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author@BrunoPittsburgh