Pinned
Link copied
The Pittsburgh Panthers and the Virginia Cavaliers are set to square off in an ACC matchup at 3:30 p.m. ET Nov. 20 at Heinz Field. The Panthers will be strutting in after a win while Virginia will be stumbling in from a loss.
It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Pitt ultimately got the result they were hoping for last Thursday with a 30-23 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels. The team accrued 23 points in the first half and coasted on those for the win. It was another big night for Pitt's QB Kenny Pickett, who passed for three TDs and 347 yards on 44 attempts.
Meanwhile, a victory for Virginia just wasn't in the stars last week as the team never even grasped a temporary lead. They suffered a grim 28-3 defeat to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Virginia was in a tough position by the half, with the score already sitting at 21 to nothing. QB Jay Woolfolk had a memorable game, but not in the way you want to be remembered: besides failing to produce a single touchdown, he threw two interceptions with only 196 yards passing.
The Panthers are the favorite in this one, with an expected 14.5-point margin of victory. They have been consistent moneymakers against the spread when favored (7-2), so they might be worth a quick bet.
Pitt's victory brought them up to 8-2 while the Cavaliers' defeat pulled them down to 6-4. A pair of defensive stats to keep an eye on: Pitt is stumbling into the game with the 184th most passing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up 16 on the season. Virginia has experienced some struggles of their own as they are 219th worst in the nation in rushing yards allowed per game, with 222.1 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
