The Xavier Musketeers, the only Atlantic 10 squad in the Sweet 16, will face Big East powerhouse Pittsburgh tonight in Boston. The East Region game is scheduled for a 7:27pm ET tip at the TD BankNorth Arena; it will be broadcast live on CBS. This evening's victor will go on to meet the winner of the Villanova/Duke contest. 
Xavier vs Pittsburgh NCAA Tournament Picks Sweet 16 at SBGglobal.com have the Panthers listed as a -7 against the spread favorite.
The Pittsburgh Panthers certainly did not have an easy run to the Sweet 16 as they got past 16 seed East Tennessee 72-62 in the first round and survived a tough Oklahoma State team 84-76 in the second. The hard fought win over the Cowboys gave Pitt their 30th win of the season and it furnished their fourth neutral site win in five attempts.
Jamie Dixon's squad, which has won five of their last six games, relied heavily on Sam Young in their second round win over OSU. The hot shooting forward dropped in 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds in leading his team to the Sweet 16. DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields also had big efforts in the critical win. Blair helped Pitt gain a 39 to 21 edge on the glass by reeling in 12 boards, while Fields scored 13 points and dished out nine assists.
Xavier moved to the NCAA Tournament regionals for the second season in a row by getting past Portland State in the opening round and Wisconsin in the round of 32. The Musketeers took out the Badgers 60-49 in Boise last weekend to improve their record to 27-7 and give them a 5-2 mark in neutral site action. Xavier, which has won six of their last eight games, has limited teams to an average of 61.9 points per game this year.
The Musketeers did not put on an offensive clinic against Wisconsin, getting just two players in double figures in points, but they certainly displayed some serious defensive chops. They held the Badgers to a ridiculous 28.6 percent (16-of-56) field goal shooting and an even worse 15 percent from beyond the arc. Leading the way for Xavier offensively was combo guard B.J. Raymond. The senior from Toledo had 15 points and four rebounds in the key victory.
SBGglobal.com's Xavier vs Pittsburgh NCAA Tournament Picks Sweet 16:
Xavier Musketeers +7 (-110), Over 138.5 (-110), +250 (Moneyline)
Pittsburgh Panthers -7 (-110), Under 138.5 (-110), -300 (Moneyline)
