Monday night in CBB will see the struggling Pittsburgh Panthers travel to take on the Top Ranked Syracyse Orangemen. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 pm tipoff and will be televised live on ESPN as part of Big Monday. Currently Syaycuse is favored by 13 points with the total being set at 136 for this game. Needing just a win to establish a new record for the best start in school history, the top-ranked Syracuse Orange will try to turn the trick when they entertain the Pittsburgh Panthers tonight at the Carrier Dome in a Big East Conference showdown.

Free Analysis: Matchups between Syracuse and Pittsburgh are usually between teams among the best in the country as well as the Big East. This one, however, pits the best team in the nation against the worst in the conference Monday night at the Carrier Dome. The top-ranked Orange look to establish their best start in school history and end an eight-game regular-season losing streak against the Panthers. What was once a season filled with promise has turned to utter chaos for the Pittsburgh Panthers, as they are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, five of which have come in Big East play. Pittsburgh has seen its scoring average drop considerably over the last few weeks, as averaging 59.2 ppg during its current six-game slide will tend to do that. The team features just two active double-digit scorers in Ashton Gibbs (16.9 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Nasir Robinson (12.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg), but if Tray Woodall (12.4 ppg) can get back in the lineup after missing the last several weeks with an abdominal/groin injury, then things could begin to stabilize a bit. The defense for the Pathers has not been that bad this year as they come in allowing 66 ppg overall and 62 ppg in their last 2 games. Syracuse continues to cruise along, taking out one seemingly overmatched opponent after another. With a balanced offensive attack that accounts for 80.4 ppg, and a stifling defensive effort that yields a mere 60.2 ppg, it's no wonder coach Boeheim's club has yet to suffer a setback this season. Kris Joseph (13.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Dion Waiters (12.9 ppg, 2.9 apg) are the only two players currently averaging double digits in the scoring column, but a total of seven guys net at least 7.0 ppg for a team that shoots 48.7 percent from the field, and 36.1 percent from three-point range. Syracuse is leading the Big East in field-goal percentage at 48.7 percent while Pittsburgh owns the second-worst percentage defensively at 43.9. The Panthers were in the top five in the conference in that category each of the last three seasons, with their worst mark at 40.7 in that span. Syracuse also forces a Big East-leading 18.6 turnovers per game while Pitt is last at 10.6. Waiters has 44 steals, including 10 over his last three contests.This bout marks the 100th meeting between Syracuse and Pittsburgh, with the Orange laying claim to a 61-38 series advantage. However, the Panthers have won the last five, eight of the last nine, and 13 of the last 16 meetings overall.

Free Pick: Defense is key here along with a pathetic Pitt offense that has scored just 59.2 ppg during their slide. Pitt had 1 high scoring game during their streak and that was the Depaul game (165 points), and if we take out that game then each one of their other 5 games have failed to top 131 points, with those games averaging 118.6 ppg. Pittsburgh can't score right now and they know the only way fro them to win is with sold defense. It may not be easy vs this strong Cuse offense, but Pitt has held Syracuse to 67 points or less in 8 of the last 10 meetings. The Orange really have not had a problem on the defensive end as they have allowed just 60.2 ppg on 38% shooting overall and a mere 57.2 ppg on 35.5 % shooting at home. It should be hard for this anemic Pitt offense to hit 60 in this one. Only 1 team can score in a game that will feature 2 good defensive teams. I really don't expect this one to hit 125. Here is a nice little trend for this one as well. PITTSBURGH is 25-12 UNDER in road games versus teams who are called for 17 or less fouls/game after 15+ games since 1997, with just 133.8 ppg being scored in this situation. 

Betting Strategies - College Basketball Home Court Value
Host Vegas Runner and Pregame Pro Bryan Leonard discuss that not all home courts created equal and every conference has different values.