Pittsburgh Hosts Syracuse with 11-Game Home Win Streak in ACC Football Matchup

I'm not saying Week 3 around college football is Rivalry Weekend like the last week of the regular season when we get the likes of Michigan-Ohio State and Alabama-Auburn, but there are some decent rivalries on tap. It starts with the ACC tonight in the 82nd meeting between Syracuse and Pittsburgh with a 7:30 ET kick on ESPN – the only CFB game of Thursday. Bet on college football at DraftKings, where new users get $200 when they spend $5+:

The teams have met every season since 1995. At +10.5, Syracuse is taking 85% of handle and 57% of bets at DraftKings . There is split action on the total of 51.5. The Panthers play outdoors at the Steelers' home of Acrisure Stadium and the weather looks good after some likely rain during the day: Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of rain. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.

You can try  college football betting  on the  best sports betting apps , but first you should check out the  SportsLine Projection Model  for picks on games from both the simulations and our  experts . We have a strong play here for those who want to get into  parlay betting  for Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh.

Syracuse-Pitt same-game parlay

- Panthers money line - Alt Under 57.5 - Pitt 90+ rush yards

FanDuel price: +129 (subject to change)

I was on Syracuse this past Saturday at home vs. Cal and I'm not sure I've seen a team try harder to lose. The Orange did, 21-18, to start in a hole in ACC play and put coach Fran Brown on an even hotter seat. I watched most of that game and pulled my hair out on SU's final four possessions in the fourth quarter: Missed 30-yard field goal, interception, missed 45-yard field goal and then one final interception to clinch it for the Bears.

If tonight goes as poorly, I'm not sure Brown makes it to October, as his career 14-13 mark at Syracuse is heavily weighted toward his first 10-3 campaign in 2024, when Brown was mostly using the previous coaching staff's players. This is not a well-coached team right now, as entering Week 3, Syracuse has been plagued by self-inflicted issues and leads the country with 26 penalties for 235 yards.

"We just got to be smart about some of the flags we did get," Brown said to the media this week. "Pre-snap penalties aren't acceptable, right? And then laziness during some times. I have to coach that better."

Brown will stick with starting quarterback Steve Angeli despite three total picks against Cal and the fact he completed less than 50% of his passes (24 of 49). Penalties often put him in second- and third-and-long situations. Angeli also appeared to be limping a bit early this week but says he's healthy. He was pressured on 21 dropbacks vs. Cal — the most by any quarterback in Week 2 via Pro Football Focus — while hit eight times and sacked three times. Angeli missed most of the last year rehabbing an Achilles injury.

The Orange's updated season win total is only 4.5, and if that's Under, Brown is long gone. He probably is anyway. To reach the ACC title game, Syracuse is +3000 and can likely forget all about that with another league loss tonight. SU has lost eight straight conference games, its longest such skid since a 10-game streak from 2020-21.

Bet on college football futures using the latest FanDuel promo code for up to $350 in bonus bets:

Pittsburgh is good enough to reach the ACC title game and is priced +700 – this is the school's conference opener -- and carries an 11-game home winning streak in the series, with the last loss in 2001. It has won 20 of 24 overall in it, including 30-13 last year away. Angeli was out injured for the season for Syracuse by then. Pitt QB Mason Heintschel ran for one score, and Kenny Johnson returned a punt 66 yards for another.

The Panthers (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) escaped at home last Saturday against Big 12 school UCF , 12-7, and have allowed only 21 total points so far under defensive-minded head coach Pat Narduzzi. Although, that UCF game was played in pretty heavy rain. Pitt was 2:51 from its first shutout of an FBS opponent since it got one against UConn in November 2005.

It was the school's lowest-scoring victory since a 10-7 win over Syracuse on Nov. 5, 2022. Pittsburgh held UCF to 20 rushing yards on 22 attempts, the ninth time in the Narduzzi era that Pitt held an opponent to 20 or fewer rushing yards. Pitt has allowed only 48 rushing yards on 43 attempts this season and ranks third nationally in rush defense at 23.5 yards allowed per game. UCF was the 61st foe Pitt held below 100 yards rushing under Narduzzi, and the team is 46-15 in those.

Heintschel completed 18 of 29 passes for 212 yards against the Knights, a game after setting school and ACC records with seven TD passes in a rout of Miami (Ohio). Heintschel is the second Pitt quarterback this century to attempt at least 70 passes without an interception through the first two games of a season, along with Kenny Pickett in 2021. The Panthers have also yet to turn the ball over.

They played without two key guys against UCF including running back Ja'Kyrian Turner , while wideout Malik Knight left in the third quarter due to an apparent shoulder injury. Turner, probable tonight, had 108 yards from scrimmage and a TD in Week 1, while Knight (questionable) has seven catches for 73 yards and a TD on the year.

Use the latest BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets when you bet on college football:

Not only has Pitt dominated at home in this series, it has won six straight Thursday games overall, with the last coming at home vs. the Orange in a 41-13 rout two years ago. Tonight will be Narduzzi's school-record 144th game as head coach, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Jock Sutherland for most at Pitt. The Panthers have rushed for at least 100 yards in each game, and I see no reason why they wouldn't tonight, especially with Turner expected back for a nice 1-2-3 punch alongside Damon Ferguson Jr . and Lavell Wright. Narduzzi would rather win with ball control.  Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter .

Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/syracuse-vs-pittsburgh-thursday-cfb-odds-picks-panthers-should-extend-11-game-home-win-streak-in-acc-series/)._