Analysis of Pittsburgh vs Notre Dame: Picks, Predictions, and Player Props for the ACC Tournament

• The Pitt Panthers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish meet in the first round of the 2025 ACC Tournament on Tuesday afternoon
• The Irish won the only meeting during the regular season (76-72) but that came on their home court
• Below, see my best Pittsburgh vs Notre Dame picks and predictions, plus the available player props

The Pittsburgh Panthers (17-14, 8-12 ACC, 13-17-1 ATS) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-17, 8-12 ACC, 13-17-1 ATS) meet in the first game of the 2025 ACC Tournament in Charlotte, NC, on Tuesday afternoon, tipping off at 2:00 pm ET from the Spectrum Center. Notre Dame won the only regular-season between the teams (76-72 as three-point home underdogs) on Feb. 22 but the Panthers head into the ACC Tournament as 3.5-point betting favorites in the Pittsburgh vs Notre Dame odds. The total is sitting at just 136.5 in Tuesday’s college basketball odds, despite both Haslametrics and KenPom projecting a score in the mid to low 140s.

Pittsburgh vs Notre Dame Prediction

Pittsburgh has been one of the more disappointing teams in the country over the last two months. The Panthers started the season 12-2 overall (3-0 ACC) including quality wins over West Virginia (86-62 home) and Ohio State (91-90 OT away). They rose as high as #24 in the KenPom ratings. But then the wheels fell off: Pitt is just 5-12 since Jan. 4 with three four-game losing streaks in that span.

Jeff Capel’s team was at least able to get back in the win column last time out, beating the brakes off Boston College, 93-67. Four of five starters scored between 14 and 16 points. Leading scorer Jaland Lowe (16.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.5 APG) had an impressive double-double with 15 points and 10 dimes.

They went 1-1 in neutral-site games, beating LSU (74-63) and losing a tight game with Wisconsin (81-75) both in White Sulphur Springs, WV.

Notre Dame heads into the ACC Tournament on a rare two-game win streak, earning a pair of razor-tight wins over Stanford (56-54) and Cal (112-110 4OT). But Micah Shrewsberry’s squad has been downright awful outside of South Bend all season. They are 3-9 in true road games and 0-3 in neutral-court games.

Notre Dame’s win over Pitt was a back-and-forth affair until the final five minutes, when the Irish went on a 13-2 run to build a 67-56 lead that was never seriously threatened thereafter. Tae Davis (15.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.8 APG) had a team-high 21 points while leading scorer Markus Burton (22.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.1 APG) added 20 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Ishmael Leggett (16.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.6 APG) had a team-high 21 points for the Panthers in the loss.

For all of Pitt’s struggles, they still rate considerably higher than Notre Dame at all reputable analytics sites. KenPom, Torvik, and Haslametrics all project a three to 4.5-point Panther victory. All three also project a total of 141 or higher. Tournament games tend to be a little lower scoring due to ramped-up defensive intensity, but the total of 136.5 is a big drop compared to the projections.

At the end of the day, I am going to back the better team and the over.

My Pittsburgh vs Notre Dame Picks

• Pittsburgh -3.5 (-110) at BetMGM
• Over 136.5 (-110) at bet365 Odds as of 10:54 am ET, March 11. Download the top March Madness betting apps before the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

My two favorite picks for Pitt vs Notre Dame are the Panthers to cover the modest 3.5-point spread and the game to go over the curiously low total of 136.5.

Sascha Paruk’s 2024-25 NCAAM betting record: 39-24 (+11.25 units). All wagers 1 unit unless expressly stated otherwise.

PITT vs ND Player Props

Pitt vs Notre Dame player props from bet365 on March 11. Claim the current bet365 bonus code to bet on college basketball today.

To no one’s surprise, Burton – the third-leading scorer in all of Division I – has the highest point total of the night at 22.5. The 5’11 sophomore has gone over that number in four straight games, including a 43-point outburst in Notre Dame’s four-OT win over Cal.

Lowe and Leggett both have team-high point totals of 15.5 for the Panthers, with Lowe favored to go over (-130) and Leggett at -115 both ways.

The ACC Tournament is heating up as Pittsburgh takes on Notre Dame in a highly anticipated matchup. Both teams have had their fair share of ups and downs this season, making it difficult to predict the outcome of this game. However, with some analysis and player props in mind, we can make some educated guesses on how this game might play out.

Pittsburgh comes into this game as the underdog, with a record of 10-12 in conference play. They have shown flashes of brilliance throughout the season, but have struggled to find consistency. Their leading scorer, Justin Champagnie, has been a bright spot for the team, averaging 18.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. If Pittsburgh wants to come out on top in this game, they will need Champagnie to continue his stellar play and lead the team to victory.

On the other hand, Notre Dame has had a slightly better season, with a record of 11-10 in conference play. They have a balanced scoring attack, with four players averaging double figures in points. Nate Laszewski leads the team with 15.5 points per game, while Prentiss Hubb is the floor general, averaging 6.2 assists per game. Notre Dame will look to exploit Pittsburgh’s weaknesses on defense and push the pace to create scoring opportunities.

In terms of predictions, this game could go either way. Pittsburgh has the talent to pull off an upset, but Notre Dame’s balanced scoring attack and experience could give them the edge. It will likely come down to which team can execute their game plan and make key plays down the stretch.

As for player props, keep an eye on Justin Champagnie for Pittsburgh. If he can get going early and establish himself as a scoring threat, Pittsburgh will have a good chance of pulling off the upset. On the Notre Dame side, Nate Laszewski will be a key player to watch. If he can knock down his outside shots and stretch the defense, Notre Dame will be in good shape.

Overall, this game promises to be an exciting matchup between two evenly matched teams. With so much on the line in the ACC Tournament, both Pittsburgh and Notre Dame will be looking to leave it all on the court and advance to the next round. Stay tuned for what should be a thrilling game of basketball.