Pittsburgh Panthers vs Miami Hurricanes Picks and Predictions February 15th 2025

Slumping Pitt Aims to Halt Slide vs. Miami

Pitt looks to snap a four-game losing streak on Saturday when it hosts Miami in an ACC matchup between two struggling teams.

The Panthers (14-10, 5-8 ACC) have dropped eight of their last 10 games, while the Hurricanes (6-18, 2-11) are enduring one of their worst seasons in 30 years.

Pitt Likely Without Leading Scorer Jaland Lowe

Pitt’s challenge became even tougher after Jaland Lowe (16.5 PPG) suffered a head injury in Tuesday’s 83-63 loss to SMU. Coach Jeff Capel said the sophomore guard is “most likely” out for Saturday’s game.

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With Lowe sidelined, Pitt will need Ishmael Leggett (15.9 PPG) to step up. However, Leggett has struggled recently, shooting under 30% from the field in his last two games and missing all 10 of his 3-point attempts.

One bright spot in Tuesday’s loss was Guillermo Diaz Graham, who scored a season-high 15 points.

Despite the slump, Capel remains confident in his team.

“The main thing now is that we have to stick together,” Capel said. “We have to keep believing. We have to keep showing up with the right attitude and we have to fight. I think we have the guys in the locker room to do that.”

Miami Looking for Continued Improvement

While Miami is tied for last in the ACC, it has shown signs of life, winning two of its last three games after enduring a 10-game losing streak.

The Hurricanes are coming off a 91-84 win over Syracuse, fueled by career-high performances from Matthew Cleveland (32 points) and Jalil Bethea (21 points).

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Cleveland has been on fire, averaging 26.4 PPG over his last seven games while shooting 57.5% from the field.

“That’s the thing I told our guys after the game: Let’s take our show on the road now,” Miami interim coach Bill Courtney said. “We’ve been getting better. We’ve been showing the results. If we concentrate on us getting better, we’ll be OK.”

Who Has the Edge?

Pitt has home-court advantage, but with Lowe likely out, the Panthers will need others to step up offensively. Meanwhile, Miami’s offense is heating up, though its defense remains a major concern (allowing 84.6 PPG in ACC play).

Can Pitt turn things around and stop its slide, or will Miami continue its mini-resurgence?