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The South Florida vs. Pittsburgh betting odds for this Thursday night’s game had the Bulls at -3.
Sportbsook.com Line & Total: South Florida -3 (-105) & 51.5
Opening Line & Total: USF -2 & 52
No. 16 South Florida brings its high-powered offense north to face a desperate Pitt team eager to stop a two-game losing skid.
The Panthers are a surprising home underdog against a team they have beaten three straight times, holding the Bulls to 15.0 PPG in those contests. Bulls QB B.J.
Daniels has 5.0 YPA, 0 TD and 3 INT in his career in the series, while Pitt QB Tino Sunseri has 8.0 YPA, 2 TD and 0 INT against USF. In the past three-plus seasons,
South Florida is 2-6 ATS as a road favorite, while Pittsburgh is 10-3 ATS after a SU defeat (5-1 ATS versus Big East). The Bulls have been very fortunate this year with a +8 turnover margin and allowed 110 more yards to common opponent Notre Dame than the Panthers did last week.
South Florida ranks in the top-10 in the nation in both scoring (45.5 PPG) and total offense (523 YPG). Bulls QB B.J. Daniels has 748 total yards and eight total TD in the past two weeks, but the last time he played in Pittsburgh, he was 4-for-8 for 54 yards and two interceptions. The emergence of RB Darrell Scott over the past three weeks will be a key to this game. Scott has 413 total yards and six touchdowns in these three contests. Defensively, the Bulls have been pretty sound, but giving up 24 points to a weak UTEP team last week was nothing to feel good about. They rank 15th in the nation in rushing defense (82 YPG), but are a subpar 75th against the pass (231 YPG). USF has done a great job creating turnovers with 13 takeaways in four games.
The Panthers have won the past three meetings with USF including a 41-14 pounding when they last met in Pittsburgh. Ray Graham rushed for 88 yards on 11 carries that day, as the Panthers outgained the Bulls 486 to 212. Although Graham, who is currently sixth in the nation in rushing yards (508), was limited to 44 yards on 10 carries in last year’s meeting, a 17-10 Pittsburgh win.
The Panthers could certainly be undefeated heading into Thursday night, but they have blown two straight fourth-quarter leads, including a 17-point advantage in a loss at Iowa two weeks ago. Pitt has allowed 19 sacks (tied for most in FBS), which is a big reason Sunseri has four interceptions in just 82 pass attempts. Last year he was only picked off nine times in 346 attempts. The Panthers also need to improve on the defensive side of the ball. They have allowed 412 YPG, which ranks 97th in thecountry. This includes the sixth-worst pass defense among FBS schools (306 YPG).
