Kentucky Wildcats vs Pittsburgh Panthers
Saturday, 1/8/11, 12:00 PM EDT, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Pittsburgh -2
Current Betting Line: Pittsburgh -3.5
Opening Total: 52
Current Total: 52.5
Kentucky will make its school-record fifth consecutive postseason appearance when playing in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Saturday. The Wildcats will be making their 15th bowl appearance overall and carry an 8-6 record in those games into this contest. Many experts perceive the team being lucky to receive a bowl invitation due to going 2-6 in SEC play and recording three non-conference victories over Western Kentucky, Akron and Charleston Southern. Head coach Joker Phillips knows that his squad is in for a battle against a talented Pitt team to close out the 2010-11 season. “I’ve had a chance to watch Pitt numerous times,” he stated. “Their running attack is very strong and their quarterback completes more than 65 percent of his passes.” Kentucky is 10-12 ATS as an underdog over the past three years and currently receiving points on the college football lines page.
The Wildcats appearance in this particular bowl game marks the first time in school history that a coach in the program has gone to a bowl game in his first season. Kentucky’s six victories this season is the most for a first-year head coach since 1954. Offensively, the team is led by a passing attack that was second in the SEC and 21st in the country averaging 274.14 yards a game with 26 touchdowns. The unit will be missing an integral part of that success, as quarterback Mike Hartline has been suspended for the bowl game due to an arrest on December 10. On the other side of the ball, the pass defense ranks fifth in the SEC and 18th in the country, holding the opposition to just 183.8 passing yards a game.
Pittsburgh makes its 27th all-time postseason appearance and third consecutive since 2008, but will be playing without head coach Dave Wannstedt, who was fired at the end of the season. In fact, the Panthers also had to fire replacement Michael Haywood due to being jailed on a domestic violence charge. “This was a hard season, a tough year all the way around, on and off the field,” said athletic director Steve Pederson. “That wears on everyone.” The Panthers were in the drivers seat to a BCS berth through the Big East Conference with a 3-0 record to start conference play, but the team fell flat and finished the regular season with a 7-5 record and an embarrassing 35-10 loss to West Virginia. Pittsburgh is 15-11 ATS as a favorite.
The Panthers will meet the Wildcats for the first time in school history on Saturday and the program hasn’t played a Southeastern Conference opponent since 1983. Pittsburgh is 27-12 over the last 39 games, the program’s winningest stretch since the 2001-04 campaigns. It’s important to note that the team’s eight losses over the last two seasons have been by a combined 75 points, an average of just 9.4 points per game.
Bettors will be interested in backing the Wildcats due to their 12-3-1 ATS mark in non-conference games, while the Panthers are 1-4 ATS in bowl games.
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