Penn State has had little trouble in beating in-state rival Pittsburgh the past two seasons, and the No. 13 Nittany Lions are solidly favored on the college football odds to keep Pennsylvania bragging rights on Saturday afternoon from State College in the rivals’ 100th meeting.
How to Bet Pittsburgh vs Penn State 2019 College Football Week 3 Odds & Game Info
- When: Saturday, noon ET
- Where: Beaver Stadium
- TV: ABC
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- Radio: SiriusXM
- College Football Week 3 Odds: Penn State -17 (Total 51.5)
Florida vs Kentucky 2019 College Football Week 3 Lines, Betting Analysis & Prediction
Last Season
The Lions rolled at Pittsburgh last year, 51-6. Trace McSorley threw for two touchdowns and ran for another; he’s gone now. McSorley finished 14 of 30 for 145 yards in a steady rain. KJ Hamler ran 32 yards for a score and hauled in a 14-yard touchdown pass from McSorley. Miles Sanders ran for 118 yards for the Nittany Lions, DeAndre Thompson returned a punt 39 yards for a touchdown, and Penn State limited Pitt to just 89 yards in the second half. Quarterback Kenny Pickett struggled in the steady rain, completing just 9 of 18 passes for 55 yards.
With 99 games played, Penn State ranks as the Panthers’ second-most played opponent. Pitt’s “Backyard Brawl” series with West Virginia ranks first with 104 all-time meetings. PSU leads 52-43-4.
Weather Forecast
- AM Thunderstorms: 25°C/77°F
- Humidity: 87%
- Precipitation: 50%
- Cloud Cover: 82%
- Wind: 7 mph SSW
- Stadium Type: Open
Why Bet on Pittsburgh?
The Panthers lost Week 1 vs. Virginia but beat Ohio 20-10 last week. Kenny Pickett passed for a career-high 321 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown to Maurice Ffrench. Pickett completed 26 of 37 passes. His 225 yards passing in the first half were the most by a Pitt quarterback in a half since Max Browne tossed for 247 yards in the opening half against Rice on Sept. 30, 2017.
French finished with 10 receptions for 138 yards. His long catch-and-run early in the second quarter gave Pitt a 10-point lead the Panthers never came close to squandering. He became the first Pitt player with 10+ receptions since Tyler Boyd had 11 against Louisville on Nov. 21, 2015. The Panthers are running a more pass-heavy offense this season under new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, and are tied for 20th in FBS with 78 pass attempts this season.
Pitt finished with 481 yards of total offense compared to just 212 yards of total offense for Ohio. Three players made their first career start for Pitt: wide receiver V’Lique Carter and tight end Nakia Griffin-Stewart on offense and defensive tackle Devin Danielson on the other side of the ball. Pitt upped its all-time record against foes from the Mid-American Conference to 32-4.
The Panthers rank 24th nationally in total defense, surrendering just 261 yards per game. Penn State’s offense will provide Pitt’s stiffest test to date. The Nittany Lions are averaging 515 yards (26th in FBS).
Team Stats
Offense- Points per Game: 14.00
- Passing Yards: 185.00
- Rushing Yards: 78.00
- Yards per Play: 3.70
- Points per Game: 30.00
- Passing Yards: 181.00
- Rushing Yards: 129.00
- Yards per Play: 4.63
Why Bet on Penn State?
Penn State (2-0) trounced MAC team Buffalo 45-13 last week. Penn State trailed Buffalo 10-7 at the half, but cornerback John Reid returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter to swing the momentum in Penn State’s favor. Sean Clifford added a pair of touchdowns and Noah Cain rushed for one before the frame ended to establish a 35-13 lead. Penn State won its ninth consecutive non-conference regular-season game. The Nittany Lions won their 15th straight non-conference regular season home game.
Clifford finished the game with four touchdown passes, connecting twice each with Jahan Dotson and Pat Freiermuth. Penn State scored 40 points for the 17th time since 2016. By comparison, from 2008 until 2016, the Nittany Lions had 18 40-point outings.
Penn State has scored 124 points (79 vs. Idaho; 45 vs. Buffalo) in its first two games, the second-highest total in the first two games of the season in school history. In 1894, Penn State opened the season with a combined 132 points in the first two games, scoring 60 against Gettysburg in the opener and 72 vs. Lafayette in the second game.
Additionally, the Nittany Lions’ have scored 84 points (33 in 2017; 51 in 2018) in their last two meetings against Pitt, which is the seventh-highest back-to-back game total in series history and the most since scoring 91 points in wins in 1992 (57 points) and 1997 (34).
Since 1979, Pitt has played at Beaver Stadium 11 times and is 4-7 in those contests. Pitt is 0-5 since a 14-7 win in 1988. The Panthers are seeking their first road win in the series since 1988.
Team Stats
Offense- Points per Game: 79.00
- Passing Yards: 342.00
- Rushing Yards: 331.00
- Yards per Play: 8.21
- Points per Game: 7.00
- Passing Yards: 141.00
- Rushing Yards: 4.00
- Yards per Play: 2.69
Lamar vs Texas A&M 2019 College Football Week 3 Odds, Preview & Pick
Pittsburgh vs Penn State 2019 College Football Week 3 Betting Trends
- Panthers are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games against an opponent in the Big 10 conference
- Panthers are 6-3 ATS in their last 9 games played on a Saturday
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Pittsburgh’s last 8 games played in week 3
- Nittany Lions are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
- Nittany Lions are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 12 of Penn State’s last 18 games
Expert Final Score Prediction for Pittsburgh vs Penn State
Pittsburgh Panthers 20 – Penn State Nittany Lions 31
