The Pittsburgh Panthers are considerable favorites against the Eastern Michigan Eagles in the Quick Lane Bowl. The game is scheduled to get underway at 8:00 p.m. ET and ESPN will televise the action.
Betting Preview: Pittsburgh Panthers at Eastern Michigan Eagles
In this Thursday game, Pittsburgh is tabbed as the heavy favorite and is currently giving up 11.5 points. The Panthers are also receiving -470 moneyline odds while the Eagles are +340. If one squad can catch a lucky break early on it’ll result in a worthwhile in-game betting opportunity. Oddsmakers have placed the over/under (O/U) at 49 points.
Sharp bettors are leaning toward the Panthers. The line initially opened at 9.5 while the total was originally 49.5.
The Panthers are 7-4 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 0.3 units so far. They’ve been a good under bet and have recorded an O/U mark of 3-8.
The Eagles have gained 0.7 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 5-7 ATS and the over has hit in seven of their games.
The Panthers have gone 7-5 straight up (SU) in 2019 while the Eagles are 6-6 SU.
The Panthers came up short to Boston College 26-19 in a contest where their defense allowed the Eagles to rush for 264 yards on 60 attempts, along with one rushing TD. On the offensive side, Kenny Pickett completed 30-of-40 passes for 323 yards and one interception. A.J. Davis (43 yards on 10 rush attempts) spearheaded the ground attack. Maurice Ffrench (nine receptions, 79 yards) and Jared Wayne (six catches, 100 yards) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
Back on November 29, Kent State knocked off this Eastern Michigan team by a score of 34-26. Mike Glass III completed 29-of-37 passes for 386 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Shaq Vann (73 yards on 18 rush attempts, one TD) led the running game while Line Latu (nine receptions, 108 yards, one TD) and Dylan Drummond (five catches, 47 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the loss.
Each of these teams has a similar run-pass ratio on the season. Pittsburgh’s run the ball on 46.5 percent of its offensive possessions while Eastern Michigan has a rush percentage of 48.0. The Panthers have produced 120.7 rush yards per game and have 10 scores on the ground this year. The Eagles are logging 121.9 rushing yards per game and have 20 total rush TDs.
The Panthers offense has averaged 253.4 yards through the air overall and has 14 passing TDs so far. The Eagles have produced 280.8 pass yards per game and have 25 total pass scores.
Defensively, Pittsburgh seems to have the upper hand in both phases. The team has allowed 106.9 rush yards and 195.6 pass yards per game. The Eastern Michigan defense has allowed 225.8 yards per game to opposing passers and 202.4 yards per game to opposing runners. The Panthers are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 4.65 to opposing QBs, while the Eagles have given up a 6.8 ANY/A.
Glass III has been more sharp than Pickett of late. The Eagles man under center has an adjusted net yards per pass attempt 7.33 for the year and 10.45 over his past two games while Pickett’s ANY/A is 5.30 and 4.44 over his last two.
Pittsburgh Panthers at Eastern Michigan Eagles Free NCAA Betting Tip
SU Winner: Eastern Michigan, ATS Winner: Eastern Michigan, O/U: Under
Team Betting Notes
- Pittsburgh, as a team, has averaged 3.1 yards per carry over its past three games and 2.6 over its last two.
- Eastern Michigan has averaged 5.4 yards per carry over its last three outings and 5.0 over its past two.
- The Eastern Michigan offense has lost five fumbles this season while Pittsburgh has lost 11.
- The Panthers offense has created eight pass plays of 40 yards or more, while the Eagles have put up seven such plays.
- The Pittsburgh defense has allowed 11 pass plays of 40+ yards, while Eastern Michigan has given up 12 such plays.
- The Pittsburgh offense has created nine rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Eastern Michigan has created 10 such runs.
- The Panthers defense has allowed seven rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Eagles have given up 12 such runs.
- The Pittsburgh defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 49 times this season. Eastern Michigan has produced just 20 sacks.
