UCF at Pittsburgh College Football Betting Tips and Predictions 9/21/2019

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Heinz Field

Heinz Field is the site where Kenny Pickett and the Pittsburgh Panthers will play the UCF Knights on Saturday. Pittsburgh opens this contest as 2.5-point underdogs. The total is set at 57.5. The Knights are 3-0-0 ATS and 1-2-0 when betting on the total. The Panthers are 0-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-1-0 against the spread.

Key UCF Knights Injuries

08/08/19 QB McKenzie Milton Knee is out indefinitely

Key Pittsburgh Panthers Injuries

09/04/19 DL Keyshon Camp Knee is out for season
08/11/19 DL Rashad Weaver ACL is out for season

In their last outing, the UCF Knights faced the Stanford Cardinal and won 45-27. Greg McCrae paced the team in rushing for the game. He had a long run of 73 yards and he added 1 touchdown for the game. He rushed for a total of 109 yards via 11 carries which means he ran for an average of 9.9 yards per tote. Tre Nixon was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 88 yards on 5 catches. He notched an average of 17.6 yards per reception for the game. Running the show from under center for the Knights was Dillon Gabriel who went 22/30 with 347 yards passing and completed 4 touchdowns. He ended the game with no interceptions. The UCF Knights ended up running the ball 44 times and earned 198 yards which gave them an average of 4.5 yards per rush. Overall, they totaled 74 plays which gave them a total of 545 yards. On the day, the Knights totaled 24 1st downs and they had 8 penalties for 72 yards which shows us how undisciplined this team can be. On the defensive side of the ball, UCF allowed 24 catches on 49 throws for a total of 233 yards, and a completion percentage of 49.0%. Against the run, the Knights allowed 116 yards on 23 carries allowing their opponent an average of 5.0 yards per attempt allowed. Overall, they allowed a total of 349 yards and forced 1 takeaway.

The Knights come into this matchup with a record of 3-0 this year. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country with an average of 51.7 points per contest, which has them at 6th in Division 1. As a unit, they are averaging 282.7 yards on the ground per contest which is 2nd in the conference. For total yards, they sit in 1st in the AAC and 2nd in Division 1 with 1,813 yards. The Knights have one of the best defenses in Division 1, giving up 13.7 points per contest putting them 3rd in the American Athletic Conference. In terms of yards on the ground, UCF is allowing 85.7 yards per game putting them 2nd in the American Athletic Conference and 25th in the country. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 2.7 yards per rush putting them 2nd in the AAC and 20th in the nation overall. In total, they have conceded 257 yards rushing through 3 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Knights have conceded 965 yards. Opponents are completing 44.8% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 4.0 yards per attempt.

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The last time they took the field, the Pittsburgh Panthers played the Penn State Nittany Lions and lost 17-10. Running the show from under center for the Panthers was Kenny Pickett who went 35/51 with 372 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He finished the game without throwing an interception. Shocky Jacques-Louis led the team on the ground for that game. His longest run of the day went for 9 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He racked up a total of 9 yards via 1 carries which gave him an average of 9.0 yards per run. Taysir Mack was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 125 yards on 12 receptions. He earned an average of 10.4 yards per catch for that game. The Pittsburgh Panthers ended up running the ball 25 times and earned 24 yards giving them an average of 1.0 yards per run. On the day, the Panthers racked up a total of 20 first downs and they totaled 2 infractions for 18 yards telling us that this team was extremely focused in this game. For the game, they ran 76 plays for 396 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Pittsburgh allowed 14 catches on 30 throws totaling 222 yards, and a completion percentage of 46.7%. Against the run, the Panthers allowed 167 yards on 32 carries which gave them an average of 5.2 yards per attempt allowed. On the day, they gave up 389 yards and earned 0 turnovers.

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The Panthers come into this matchup with a record of 1-2. In discussing the offensive production, the Panthers have one of the most lackluster offenses in Division 1. Pittsburgh is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 87.3 yards on the ground per game, which has them at 121st in college football. As a team, they have a total of 262 yards rushing through 3 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Panthers average 380 yards per contest overall ranking them 82nd in Division 1 and 12th in the conference. The Panthers are giving up 19 points per game ranking them 6th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 42nd in college football. In regard to points allowed, they have given up 57 points in total. In discussing yards rushing, they are conceding 110.3 yards per game which puts them at 44th in Division 1 and 5th in the conference. This season, they have given up 331 yards rushing and 3.9 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the elite units in the nation. They are conceding 193.3 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Panthers currently sit at 6th in the conference.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Panthers +2.5

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