Pittsburgh vs Syracuse NCAA Football Game Picks

Friday, October 18, 2019

Carrier Dome

Carrier Dome is the site where Tommy DeVito and the Syracuse Orange will play the Pittsburgh Panthers on Friday. Pittsburgh opens this game as 2.5-point favorites. The Panthers are 4-2-0 ATS and 2-4-0 when betting on the total. The Orange are 2-4-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-4-0 against the spread.

In their last outing, the Pittsburgh Panthers went up against the Duke Blue Devils and ended up getting the win by a score of 33-30. Running the show from under center for the Panthers was Kenny Pickett who went 29/48 with 268 yards passing and completed 3 touchdowns. He walked away with 2 interceptions during the game. Todd Sibley Jr. paced the team in rushing in the game. His longest run of the day went for 25 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He rushed for 60 yards by way of 12 carries which had him averaging 5.0 yards per tote. Taysir Mack was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 85 yards on 9 receptions. He earned an average of 9.4 yards per catch in the game. The Panthers ran the football 35 times and earned 69 yards earning them an average of 2.0 yards per rushing attempt. For the game, they ran 83 plays for 337 yards. In the game, the Panthers racked up a total of 22 1st downs and they had 15 infractions for 145 yards telling us that this team had an undisciplined week of practice. When discussing the defense, Pittsburgh conceded 18 catches on 45 tries for a total of 165 yards, and a completion percentage of 40.0%. For the game, they gave up a total of 288 yards and earned 6 takeaways. Against the run, the Panthers conceded 123 yards on 44 carries which is an average of 2.8 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Panthers head into this matchup 4-2 this year. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation with an average of 21.5 points per contest, which has them at 107th in the country. As a team, they have an average of 116.5 rushing yards per game which is 13th in the ACC. For total yardage, they currently sit at 9th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 78th in the country with 2,359 yards. The Panthers have one of the middle tier defenses in Division 1, giving up 22.5 points per game putting them 5th in the Atlantic Coast Conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Panthers have conceded 1,660 yards. Teams are completing 50.7% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 5.8 yards per try. In terms of yards rushing, Pittsburgh is allowing 97 yards per contest which has them at 4th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 15th in D-1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 2.9 yards per carry putting them 4th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 12th in the country overall. Overall, they have conceded 582 yards rushing through 6 games.

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In their last game, the Syracuse Orange played the NC State Wolfpack and lost 16-10. Moe Neal led the team in rushing for that game. He broke a long run for 12 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He ran for 31 yards by way of 8 carries which meant he averaged 3.9 yards per carry. Trishton Jackson was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 106 yards on 9 catches. He notched an average of 11.8 yards per reception for that game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Orange was Tommy DeVito who went 29/39 with 300 yards passing and threw 1 TD. He finished the game without throwing an interception. The Orange ran the football 37 times and racked up a total of 41 yards which gave them an average of 1.1 yards per carry. In the game, they totaled 76 plays which gave them a total of 341 yards. In the game, the Orange earned 21 first downs and they had 12 penalties for 59 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. When it comes to their defensive performance, Syracuse conceded 18 completions on 31 tries for a total of 260 yards, and a completion percentage of 58.1%. In the running game, the Orange conceded 104 yards on 34 attempts which is an average of 3.1 yards per attempt allowed. In the game, they conceded a total of 364 yards and earned 1 takeaway.

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The Orange step onto the field holding a record of 3-3. Syracuse hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 119.8 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 109th in the country. As a unit, they have a total of 719 yards rushing through 6 contests, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Orange average 378.3 yards per game overall which has them at 93rd in the nation and 12th in the conference. The Orange are conceding 26 points per contest which puts them at 8th in the conference and 63rd in the country. In discussing points allowed, they have given up 156 total points. In regard to yards rushing, they are giving up 149 yards per game which puts them at 60th in college football and 8th in the Atlantic Coast Conference. For this season, they have conceded a total of 894 yards on the ground and 10.8 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the middling groups in Division 1. They are giving up 276.8 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Orange are ranked 12th in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Who will win tonight's Panthers/Orange college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Orange +2.5

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