Pitt-Virginia
Time: 12:30 PM ET
Spread: PIT -3
M/L: PIT -150, VIR +130
Total: 61
Betting odds c/o 5dimes
Pittsburgh is 4-2 after reeling off Week 5 and 6 victories over Marshall and Georgia Tech. The Panthers will face ACC foe Virginia in Week 7 as 3-point favorites on the road, with the over/under set at 61 according to college football oddsmakers at 5dimes. The game will air at 11:30 AM on the ACC Network.
Check out our college football odds page for instant line updates on every game.
Pitt began the season 2-0 with wins over Villanova and Penn State, but Weeks 3 and 4 brought losses to Oklahoma State and North Carolina. The Panthers have got good play from quarterback Nathan Peterman, who has thrown 89 of 137 (65 percent) for 1,115 yards and nine touchdowns (with two interceptions). Peterman’s passer rating is 152.1 and he has rushed for 107 yards and a TD on 35 carries. Peterman’s top target has been Jester Weah, who has 17 catches for 348 yards and three TDs on the season. Weah has also had a 60-yard TD catch and averages 20.5 yards per attempt, leading the team in total receptions, yardage and yards per attempt. Scott Ordoff is No. 2 in yardage with 203 on the season on 14 catches and a pair of TDs.
Shop and compare the best online sportsbooks with our sportsbook review page.
In the backfield, James Connor has rushed for 441 yards on 104 carries and also has 169 receiving yards on 13 catches. Quadree Henderson also functions as a dual-back with 343 rushing yards and 174 receiving yards on 17 catches.
The Panthers have some offensive tools and average 37.3 points per game. ranking No. 34 in the nation. It has been defense that has been an issue for Pitt, as the Panthers allow 31.5 points per game and rank No. 91 in the country. The rush attack has really been the bread and butter of the offense with three gifted options to move the ball, and Pitt ranks no. 19 in rushing yardage with 244.2 per game.
It is an offense that should be able to dispose of Virginia, but this game will come down to the wire in a closely matched game between middle of the pack ACC clubs.
Virginia began the season 0-3 but has since rebounded with back-to-back victories over Central Michigan and Duke. The Cavaliers lost to Richmond, Oregon and UConn in Weeks 1 through 3, but some stability has come to the Cavs in its disposing of its last two opponents by an average of 14 points per game.
Last week brought a 34-20 victory over the Blue Devils as Virginia forced six turnovers and Kurt Benkert threw for 336 yards and three TDs. Duke QB Daniel Jones threw five interceptions, of which Juan Thornhill and Bryce Hall each snagged a pair of while Quin Blanding had the other.
Benkert did throw one pick of his own, but Virginia got 336 passing yards and a rushing TD from Albert Reid. Taquan Mizzell rushed for 60 yards on 14 carries and Reid had 44 yards, but the big star was David Eldridge who caught two passes for 112 yards, including a long of 84-yards while also scoring a TD. Andre Levonre had two catches for 65 yards. Keeon Johnson caught a team-high five passes for 46 yards, and Virginia averaged 14.6 yards per attempt on its 23 catches.
Defensively, Micah Kiser had a huge game with 18 tackles, eight solo, one sack and two tackles for loss. Virginia also got 14 tackles from Kelvin Rainey (eight solo) and 12 from Zach Bradshaw (three solo) as the Cavaliers had two sacks and four tackles for loss in the game. Duke was without Jela Duncan and Shaun Wilson carried 16 times for 55 yards.
Last week, Duke averaged just 3.4 yards per rushing attempt and six yards per pass play, as Virginia’s defense made it difficult for the Blue Devils to get many plays for big yardage. Just a 12 and 10 yard running play were the only things close to big strikes for a Duke offense that racked up 430 yards but scored just two touchdowns.
Get a full season of NFL and college football picks for just $549 with our early bird special. That is a savings of $150 off the regular price.
