Pitt faces Penn State this weekend in Happy Valley and you don't need me to tell you that they're big time underdogs.
Back in May, a line was released that had the Nittany Lions favored by 19 points. That seemed high for some people that considered it a rivalry contest that would be played much closer but now, with the game days away, the line is actually higher than it was before.
NCAA Sportsbook TopBet has the odds with the Panthers as a whopping 20.5-point underdog for this week's game.
That might seem high but the Panthers probably didn't do themselves any favors if they wanted to lower it after the first week of the season. Pitt grabbed an early 21-0 lead against Youngstown State but allowed the Penguins to come back and tie it before defeating them in overtime. Penn State, meanwhile, faced a higher-level opponent in Akron and pitched a shutout, winning handily, 52-0.
The odds for the Pitt-Penn State game are among the highest on the board in college football this week. NCAA Sportsbook TopBet has them as the 12th largest of all of the D-I games out there.
Pitt will have its hands full but, as we saw last year with the Clemson game, the Panthers have faced big odds on the road against a top team and pulled off an upset. Those odds?
Some books placed them at exactly 20.5 points.
Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.
