The ACC takes on the AAC this Saturday with the Pittsburgh Panthers going on the road to face the Central Florida Knights. BetOnline has opened the Knights as 13.5-point favorites with the total set at 66 points.
The ACC’s Pittsburgh Panthers square off against the AAC’s Central Florida Knights this Saturday afternoon in a slated 3:30 p.m. start at Spectrum Stadium in Orlando. ESPN2 will carry the game nationally.
Pitt at Central Florida Overview
The Panthers have gone an even 2-2 both straight-up and against the spread in their first four games. They were on the wrong end of a 51-6 loss to in-state rival Penn State as 7.5-point home underdogs before splitting a pair of conference games with a win against Georgia Tech as underdogs at home followed by last week’s 38-35 road loss to North Carolina as three-point favorites. The total went OVER the 48-point line against the Tar Heels.
Kenny Pickett has thrown for 580 yards and four touchdowns as the team’s starting quarterback, but the Panthers have leaned heavily on a run game that has averaged 212.3 rushing yards through their first four contests. Qadree Ollison has led the way with 355 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 57 carries, with Pickett adding another 117 yards and a pair of scores on 35 rushing attempts. Pitt is averaging 25.0 points per game against a defensive effort that has allowed an average of 28.8 PPG.
UFC was the story last season in the Mid Majors with a perfect 13-0 SU run through its season. The winning streak reached 16 games with last Friday night’s 56-36 victory against Florida Atlantic as a 14-point home favorite. The Knights opened play in the AAC in Week 1 with a 56-17 win against Connecticut as 24-point favorites on the road. They did fail to cover as heavy 52-point home favorites in a 38-0 shutout against South Carolina State. The total has gone OVER in two of the three games.
There could be a bit of concern with the 36 points allowed by the Knights’ defense last week after two stellar efforts to start the year, but it is going to be tough for any team on their schedule to slow them down on the other side of the ball. Quarterback McKenzie Milton has taken the majority of the snaps in the first three games with 895 yards passing, and nine touchdown throws against three interceptions. He has completed 64.1 percent of his 103 passing attempts. UCF boasts five different players with at least 100 yards rushing as part of a running game that is ranked seventh in the nation with an average of 283.7 yards per game.
Pitt at Central Florida Betting Trends
- The Panthers are 4-2 ATS in their last six games overall, but they fall to 2-3-2 ATS in their previous seven road games. The total has stayed UNDER in six of their last seven games played on the road.
- The Knights have failed to cover in four of their last six home games, but they improve to 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall. The total has gone OVER in six of their last eight games overall.
- These two teams met back in 2006 with Pitt rolling to a 52-7 victory as a 10-point road favorite. The total went OVER 48.5 points.
Get more details: Pittsburgh at Central Florida NCAAF Match-Up
