Xavier vs Pittsburgh NCAA Bracket Picks 2010: A chance to move into the round of 16 will be on the line this evening, as the sixth seeded Xavier Musketeers [-105 ML] take on the third seeded, sports betting odds favorite Pittsburgh Pirates [-115 ML] at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI. The last time these teams faced one another on the court dates back to March 26th 2009, when Pitt advanced to the Regional Finals with a 60-55 victory.
Xavier and Pittsburgh are set to tip things off at 5 PM ET and the OVER/UNDER projected for this game has been set at a combined total of 135 points scored. “We’re two completely different teams,” Xavier’s Jamel McLean said. “It’s not a rivalry game between us. But we do know in the back of our minds that this was the team that knocked us out last year. We’re not going to try and make it bigger than it is.”
For Xavier, they’re coming off an impressive victory over Oakland, in which six players scored in double figures. The Musketeers are going to need a similar effort if they want to get past a well-balanced Pitt team that plays outstanding team-ball.
“I like Pittsburgh, so I’ve been watching them throughout the year,” Xavier guard Terrell Holloway said. “I know they’re all great players. Any given night any one of them could go out there and score 20 points a game.”
One of the main problems for the Panthers today will be trying to contain the versatile Jordan Crawford. “I think with the type of defense that we play, we’ll be able to manage him,” Brown said. “So I’m not really worried about like what they’re going to present offensively to us. I really have a lot of faith in our defensive abilities.”
