March Madness Odds: Pitt-Xavier prediction, pick, how to watch

Our coverage of March Madness will continue with this prediction for a Second Round Tournament game in the Midwest Region. The 11-seed Pitt Panthers will look for another upset against the 3-seed Xavier Musketeers. Don't miss this close contest as both teams try to make the Sweet Sixteen. Check out our March Madness odds series for our Pitt-Xavier prediction and pick.

The Pitt Panthers advanced to the Round of 32 after grabbing a big win over 6-seed Iowa State behind a stellar defensive performance. They held Iowa State to terrible shooting totals and despite having more turnovers, were able to complete the upset by an 18-point margin. They'll look to do the same and upset a strong Xavier squad.

The Xavier Musketeers advanced to this spot after a tough-earned win against hungry 14-seed Kennesaw State. A close game throughout, the Musketeers got big buckets down the stretch and were able to stand tall defensively to prevent any comebacks in the final minutes. They barely escaped and will have another hard task in facing Pitt.

Here are the Pitt-Xavier March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

March Madness Odds: Pitt-Xavier Odds

Pitt: +5.5 (-118)

Xavier: -5.5 (-104)

Over: 151.5 (-110)

Under: 151.5 (-110)

How To Watch Pitt vs. Xavier

TV: CBS

Stream: March Madness App, fuboTV

Time: 12:10 p.m. ET/9:10 a.m. PT

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Pitt Could Cover The Spread

The Pitt Panthers enjoyed an amazing effort from their defense in their last game and held Iowa State to the following shooting totals: 23% from the field, 9.5% from three. The Cyclones couldn't buy a bucket to save their lives, and much of it was due to the energetic defense of the Panthers. They continued to hit their first three-pointers to start the game and got out to a huge lead while Iowa State failed to score. Look for the Panthers to have a lot of confidence on defense in this one.

Pitt showed their ability to grind out a tough win in their First Four game against Mississippi State. In that one, they were out-rebounded but managed to hit eight threes on 47% shooting. Pitt also does a good job of taking care of the ball and will have to make it a focal point against a Xavier team that converts points off turnovers.

Why Xavier Could Cover The Spread

The Xavier Musketeers will have to build on some of the shortcomings that made their last game such a close one. They shot just 16% from three against Kennesaw State and were slightly out-rebounded while having 10 turnovers. It was a rather sloppy game for an otherwise polished Xavier team, so look for them to patch up some mistakes and play with a style more structured to their game plan.

Xavier can will this game by being dominant on the offensive boards. The Panthers are feeling themselves from three, so Xavier will have to lock up their perimeter defense and trust that their bigs can grab the rebounds. It's unlikely that they'll shoot as poorly as Iowa State did, so look for the favored Musketeers to push a much higher pace than what Pitt is used to.

Final Pitt-Xavier Prediction & Pick

Xavier will look like the much more complete team out of the gate and will try to hit their shots early. If they can get into a rhythm, they'll be able to break the spirit of the Pitt defense. If Pitt can continue to shoot the ball how they have been lately, they could be able to win in another upset spot. While Xavier is the favored pick to win, let's take the Pitt Panthers to at least cover the spread in what should be a close game.

Final Pitt-Xavier Prediction & Pick: Pitt Panthers +5.5 (-118)