Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh Week 3 Prediction
ACC rivals square off on Saturday afternoon this week, as Pittsburgh hosts Syracuse at 12:00 p.m. ET. The Panthers are laying over three touchdowns as a home favorite while the over/under currently sits in the low-50s. What’s the optimal play for bettors?
Game Snapshot
119 Syracuse Orange (+21.5) at 120 Pittsburgh Panthers (-21.5); o/u 50
12:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, September 19, 2020
Syracuse Orange Game Notes
Syracuse redshirt junior QB Tommy DeVito went 13-for-31 for 112 yards in Saturday’s 31-6 loss to UNC. DeVito also “led” the Orange with 30 rushing yards, a feat he achieved despite getting sacked seven times. Syracuse has been battling injuries, opt-outs and missed practices, and it showed today. DeVito wasn’t sharp, his teammates were no better. The junior quarterback was under duress most of the game, and his receivers didn’t appear to have shaken last season’s lingering issue of the dropsies. With a road trip to Pitt on deck, Dino Babers has a long week ahead of him trying to fix what looked like a broken offense this afternoon, and they face Pitt next weekend.
Pittsburgh Panthers Game Notes
Pitt sophomore RB Vincent Davis handled 11 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 55-0 win over Austin Peay. The volume wasn’t there. The efficiency was not there. The points, however, were there. Davis (5’8/170) did an exceptional job to punch in some scores when Pitt needed tough yards. Though Davis will surely want to run for more than 43 yards in his next game, he has to be happy with already hitting a career-best for scoring in a game. Davis scored five touchdowns in 2019, but did not have a single game with more than one touchdown. Pitt will return to action next week against Syracuse.
Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh Week 3 Prediction
Syracuse is bad but this is a lot of points for Pittsburgh to be laying to any conference opponent this early in the season. Quarterback Kenny Pickett was fine last week against Austin Peay, completing 14-of-20 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown while also rushing twice for 23 yards in the 55-0 blowout. But the key was that Pickett and the rest of Pittsburgh’s offense was merely average against a low-level opponent. Syracuse won’t threaten much offensively but the defense should be able to keep the team in the game until the end. Again, this is just way too many points.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 BETTING PREDICTION: SYRACUSE ORANGE +21.5