Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Duke Blue Devils
Saturday, 9/21/13, 12:30 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Pittsburgh -6
Current Betting Line: Pittsburgh -4
Opening Total: 51
Current Total: 50
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Pittsburgh will play its first Atlantic Coast Conference road game when it travels to Wallace Wade Stadium, as it picked up a 49-27 victory over New Mexico as 21.5-point home favorites last Saturday. The Panthers feature a balanced offensive team, as they gained 283 rushing and 244 passing yards a week ago—surpassing the 500-yard mark in total offense for the fourth time under second-year head coach Paul Chryst. In the team’s victory, it played 12 true freshmen and seven redshirt freshmen. Pittsburgh is 5-4 SUATS as favorites of 3.5 to 10 points the last two-plus seasons.
The Panthers have one of the best wide receivers in college football, as Biletnikoff Award candidate Devin Street is only 17 receptions away from becoming the all-time leading pass catcher at the school. Pittsburgh produced a pair of 100-yard rushers in its victory over New Mexico—marking the first time the program has accomplished such a feat in six years. It’s still important to point out that the team possesses one of the least experienced offensive lines in years—with three first-time starters lining up in the season-opening loss to Florida State.
Duke had its two-game winning streak come to an end in Week 3, as it suffered a 38-14 defeat to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as 8.5-point home underdogs, while getting outgained by 215 yards. The Blue Devils will try to possess the lead heading into the final 15 minutes of play, as they’ve won 19 of 21 games under head coach David Cutcliffe when holding a lead after the third quarter. The program has also won seven games in the fourth quarter under Cutcliffe’s direction, which can’t be ignored when looking over the NCAA football lines this weekend.
The Blue Devils definitely have a youthful roster, as they have just 16 seniors on the sidelines—tied for the 23rd fewest nationally in that category. Duke is averaging 37.4 points per game at home since 2012—compared to 22.9 points per game away from home over that span. The team’s top two quarterbacks have combined for 27 career rushing touchdowns, with Brandon Connette accounting for 19 of them.
Sports bettors will likely play the total, as the OVER is 20-5-3 in the Blue Devils’ last 28 games following a double-digit loss at home.
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