2024 SEC-ACC CBB Challenge: Wednesday’s Game-by-Game Predictions

Pittsburgh at Mississippi State - 9:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network

Pittsburgh has been a pleasant surprise thus far, sitting at 7-1 with blowout wins over West Virginia and LSU and an impressive one-point win at Ohio State. The lone blemish is a close loss to Wisconsin. They now hit the road to play Mississippi State. The Bulldogs lost Butler in the Arizona Tip-Off and were not tested until that game. Pittsburgh is playing together and has shown more offensive punch than expected. Starkville is not a difficult place to play, and Pitt should grab this one on the road.

Prediction: Pitt 80 - Mississippi State 73

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Virginia at Florida - 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN2

The Florida Gators are one of the more interesting stories thus far. An off-court scandal brought negative attention to Todd Golden as the season began, but his team has come out on fire as the Gators are 8-0 with double-digit margins in every game. It is fair to say a legitimate opponent has not yet tested Florida, but Virginia likely won’t end up as a big-time opponent either. The Cavaliers are 5-2, but they lost in blowout fashion in each of the ranked matchups they played.

Prediction: Florida 71 - Virginia 55

Auburn at Duke - 9:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Auburn at Duke might be the best matchup in this whole event. The Auburn Tigers have wins over Houston, Iowa State, North Carolina, and Memphis, sitting at 7-0 and No. 2 in the country. A legitimate argument could be made that the Tigers are playing like the best team in the country. They will get their first significant road test as they travel to Durham to play the ninth-ranked Duke Blue Devils. Duke is ultra-talented but still relatively young, and Auburn plays with maturity and physicality, which the young Blue Devils have not shown to be ready for.

Prediction: Auburn 82- Duke 78

Texas at North Carolina State - 9:15 p.m. ET on ESPN2

North Carolina State is 5-2 but lost both games in their Feast Week tournament (BYU and Purdue) and struggled to contain the interior play of the Purdue Boilermakers and BYU Cougars. North Carolina State's roster is a far cry from last season's. Texas is the more talented squad and has the best player on the floor in guard Tre Johnson. Arthur Kaluma should also have a nice evening down low and propel the Longhorns to the win.

Prediction: Texas 70 - NC State 66

Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech - 9:15 p.m. ET on ACC Network

Vanderbilt might not win many games in the SEC this season, but they are playing hard and are led by an intriguing young coach in his first season. The Commodores are 7-1, with a 16-point win over California and another over Seton Hall. This is their first road test as they travel to Blacksburg. There’s an excellent opportunity for the ACC to get a win here, but Virginia Tech is struggling. They were blown out by Penn State and have lost by double-digits to Jacksonville, Michigan, and South Carolina. The Hokies are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, and Vanderbilt will play hard enough to make this a lousy spot to “get right.”

Prediction: Vanderbilt 76 - Virginia Tech 68

Pittsburgh at Mississippi State - 9:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network

Pittsburgh has been a pleasant surprise thus far, sitting at 7-1 with blowout wins over West Virginia and LSU and an impressive one-point win at Ohio State. The lone blemish is a close loss to Wisconsin. They now hit the road to play Mississippi State. The Bulldogs lost Butler in the Arizona Tip-Off and were not tested until that game. Pittsburgh is playing together and has shown more offensive punch than expected. Starkville is not a difficult place to play, and Pitt should grab this one on the road.

Prediction: Pitt 80 - Mississippi State 73

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