Unranked Syracuse heads to Pittsburgh to face the #19 Panthers at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN on Thursday night. Can the Panthers cover the 5.5-point spread as home favorites this weekend? Keep reading for our Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh betting prediction.
Syracuse is 5-1 straight up this season and 3-3 against the spread. Their best win came against UNLV and their only loss came against Stanford.
Pittsburgh is 6-0 straight up this season and 5-1 against the spread. Their best win came against North Carolina, and they have yet to lose a game this season.
Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh Matchup & Betting Odds
111 Syracuse Orange (+5.5) at 112 Pittsburgh Panthers (-5.5); o/u 62.5
7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, October 24, 2024
Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
TV: ESPN
Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh Public Betting Prediction
As of this writing, our CFB Public Betting page shows that 56% of bets are on Syracuse. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Syracuse Orange Game Notes
Syracuse wide receiver Zeed Haynes (personal) and running back Will Nixon (foot) will both miss Thursday’s road date with Pittsburgh. Haynes has 8 catches for 97 yards this season while Nixon has 19 carries for 76 yards on the campaign.
Orange wide receiver Trebor Pena is doubtful to play on Thursday due to a lower leg injury. He is second on the team with 458 receiving yards this season.
Syracuse linebacker Marlowe Wax, wide receiver Emanuel Ross, and defensive back Marcellus Barnes are all questionable for Thursday’s game with undisclosed ailments. Barnes is listed as the team’s starting right cornerback on the depth chart.
Pittsburgh Panthers Game Notes
Panthers running back Juelz Goff and defensive back Nigel Maynard are both questionable for Thursday’s games with arm injuries. Both players are freshmen and haven’t accumulated any stats this season.
Pittsburgh running back Desmond Reid excelled in his team’s 17-15 win over Cal two weeks ago. In that contest, the 5’8” junior ran the ball 16 times for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also caught 1 pass for 19 yards. Reid leads the Panthers with 494 rushing yards this season.
Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh Betting Trends
Syracuse is 3-4 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
The Orange are 2-4-1 ATS in their last 7 games against Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
Pittsburgh is 7-3 ATS as the home team since the start of last season.
Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh Betting Prediction
Pittsburgh has played well against Syracuse over the past decade. The Panthers are 8-2 straight up and 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 contests against the Orange. In the last 5 matchups between these 2 teams in Pittsburgh, the Panthers are 5-0 straight up and 3-2 ATS. The numbers point to the Panthers winning this season’s matchup too.
Pittsburgh’s offense is gaining 6.3 yards per play this season, which ranks 23rd in the nation. The Panthers’ defense is only allowing 4.6 yards per play this year, which is the 18th-best mark in the country in 2024. Those numbers mean more than the Panthers’ flawless straight-up record of 6-0 this season and their average point differential of +9.6 points per game this year. The latter figure ranks 31st nationally.
That figure is more than 4 points better than Syracuse’s average scoring margin this year. The Orange have an average scoring margin of +5.4 points per game in 2024, which ranks 45th in the country. Syracuse is allowing 5.3 yards per rushing attempt to their opponents this season, which ranks 117th in the country this year. Pittsburgh excels at running the ball (4.8 yards per carry this season) and I think that will be the key to this game. I’m laying the points with the Panthers at home on Thursday night.