Syracuse vs Pittsburgh
Who’s ready for some Thursday night ACC action!? The Orange vs the Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It looks like a beautiful night for some college football. Clear night, 53 degrees and a minimal 5 mph wind. This is a surprise, featured game, as we may not have expected a 5-1 Syracuse team to be up against a 6-0 Pittsburgh team at the beginning of the year. Both teams have overperformed and match up quite well. But follow me all the way through this prediction because I think I have found the edge.
Can Syracuse Win Tonight?
Syracuse is 2-1 in conference play this season and is looking to bring home another victory. They were on bye last week so are coming into this one well rested. Kyle McCord is the main man for the Orange. He averages 360 yards passing with a 65.6% completion percentage, has 19 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. His passer rating is way above average at 147.9 and ranks as the 7th best QB in college football. The leading rusher on the team is Lequint Allen with 15.7 yards per attempt and the leading receiver is Jackson Meeks averaging 6.3 yards per reception. Meeks just had his 2nd 100 yard receiving game of the season last week vs NC State. Syracuse will once again be looking to stretch the field as they are fifth in 3rd down conversions in the passing game. They must be able to take some shots and have a couple big plays to get the win.
More…
- Syracuse has failed to cover the spread in 7 of 8 road games
- 7 of Syracuse’s last 8 vs ranked teams have gone under the total
- Syracuse has won all of its games after leading at halftime this season
Can Pittsburgh Win Tonight!
Pittsburgh is 2-0 in ACC conference play this season and has been racking up the wins. Its perfection so far for the 19th ranked team! Just like Syracuse, Pittsburgh is also coming off of a bye week. It’s not often that we get this kind of rest in such a consequential match up. Eli Holstein is the field general for the panthers this season. He has been impressive in his own right. He averages 283.3 yards per game, has a 63.5% completion rating with 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He has a better quarterback rating than McCord at 154.7 but ranks 34th in the nation against the other NCAA College Football quarterbacks. Desmond Reid is the top running back for the Panthers with 3 touchdowns this season and Konata Mumpfield leads the receivers averaging 77.2 yards per game. Desmond Reid is the standout on this squad. He has carried the Panthers with three 120 plus yard games this year. If Pittsburgh can limit turnovers they can win this ball game.
More…
- Pittsburgh has won each of its last 6 games
- The Average winning margin at Acrisure Stadium is 23.3
- The Average total points scored at Acrisure Stadium is 68.3
Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh (-5.5) – O/U 62.5 – Free Prediction for 10/24/2024
After sifting through the numbers, the edge in this game has emerged. This one is coming down to defensive efficiency and win differential. Syracuse statistically has the better QB in this game, but other than that Pittsburgh checks all of the boxes. This Pittsburgh team is 11.3% better on defense and still has enough offensive firepower with their running game to cover. Pittsburgh averages 7 more points per game, and their ATS Margin of Victory is 9.9 points on their home field. Pittsburgh is 3-1 ATS on their home field, are rested and ready to get to work. My dad always said the home field is worth three points, so I feel good about this cover.
Mindy’s Pick: Pittsburgh Panthers -5.5
Mindy has been in the business of picking winners over the last 30 years. Her analytical mind has given her the insight to find the edges over Vegas. This is her 4th year at Tony’s Picks and loves to give out her Data Driven Picks. If you love Mindy’s free picks make sure you check out her link to her profile page to get her very best picks every day. Mindy has been crushing the books this NFL season and is 16-0 on her moneyline predictions this year!!! Let’s get some wins!