Pitt has not done well against the spread this year
Pat Narduzzi must have a vault of Orange Kryptonite underneath (the former) Heinz Field. How else could the Syracuse Orange have lost nine straight in the home of the Pittsburgh Panthers?
Okay, maaaaybe it has something to do with only coming into one of those games with a better record. The last 20 years of this rivalry have been very one sided, with Pitt winning 17 of the yearly clashes. But this weekend is lining up to be a great opportunity to reset the clock.
See, history is on SU’s side. If you look at the all-time Pitt/Syracuse series, you’ll notice a trend:
- 2002-2021: Pitt went 17-3
- 1982-2001: Syracuse went 16-3-1
- 1962-1981: Pitt went 13-7
If father time sticks to his schedule, then this year seems to be the time where the odds shift in SU’s favor. Speaking of odds…
According to DraftKings SportsBook, the line has moved to Syracuse +4 after starting off the week at +3. Still, if there’s a team you want to be underdogs against, it’s probably Pitt: they’re a meager 2-6 against the spread this season. They’ve lost three of their last four, including an embarrassing home defeat at the hands of Georgia Tech. Pitt was favored by a whopping 21.5 points in that instance.
The two losses after the bye, at Louisville and North Carolina, were disappointing in their own right. Both times, the Panthers had a slim lead entering the fourth quarter, then their defense proceeded to roll over and the offense shut down to the tune of a 41-0 point-differential.
If you need one last bit of encouragement: the last time the Orange won in Pittsburgh was 2001 (a Troy Nunes game!), the year Heinz Field opened. So even though it’s technically the same building, the name change to Acrisure Stadium could have some positive impact.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.