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The Pittsburgh Panthers are 13.5-point favorites over the Eastern Michigan Eagles in Thursday’s Quick Lane Bowl.
Pittsburgh (7-5) is looking for its first bowl win under Pat Narduzzi, who is 0-3 in four seasons as head coach. Quarterback Kenny Pickett threw for 2,737 yards including four 300-yard games but led a Panthers offense that struggled to find the end zone. Pittsburgh is ranked 116th out of 130 FBS schools in scoring offense averaging a measly 20.7 points per game. Wide receiver Maurice Ffrench needs eight catches to reach Larry Fitzgerald’s school-record of 92 set in 2003. Ffrench leads the ACC and is 3rd nationally with 84 grabs this season. The Panthers defense ranks 31st nationally allowing just 21.8 points per game.
Eastern Michigan (6-6) is playing in its third bowl in the last four years. The Eagles lost a heartbreaker 23-21 in last year’s Camellia Bowl, as Georgia Southern kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired. This game will cap off a four-year run that has seen Eastern Michigan win 25 games, the most in a four-year span since the late ’80s. The Eagles have a Power Five conference victory under their belt this season, a 34-31 win at Illinois on September 14. Quarterback Mike Glass III will be playing in his final game. The senior has accounted for 3,203 yards of total offense this season with 29 touchdowns.
ESPN’s FPI gives Pittsburgh a 70.1% chance of winning this game. We break down the line and offer our best bets and analysis for Thursday’s Quick Lane Bowl between the Panthers and Eagles.
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Pittsburgh vs. Eastern Michigan Game Details
Date: Thursday, December 26
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Ford Field (Detroit, Michigan)
TV: ESPN
Spread: Pittsburgh -13.5
Total: 49
*All lines and odds courtesy of SportsMemo, Covers, & The Action Network
Line Movement
This line opened at Pittsburgh -10.5 and has been bet up to Pittsburgh -13.5 with the slight majority of the bets and majority of the money coming in on the Panthers. This line is correlated to the action and moving with the market.
Betting Trends
- Pittsburgh is 7-5 SU and 7-5 ATS this season
- Eastern Michigan is 6-6 SU and 5-7 ATS this season
- Under is 9-3 in Pittsburgh games this season
- Over is 7-3-2 in Eastern Michigan games this season
Analysis & Pick
Like most of these early bowl games, motivation is a key factor here. More importantly, how motivated will the Power Five school be in this spot against a MAC opponent? I think Eastern Michigan will be very up for this game and should be able to get a jump on a Panthers team that has struggled to score points this season. The Eagles offense is the better unit in this matchup, with Mike Glass a capable trigger-man. However, if the Panthers are able to gain any traction in the trenches, the mood could change in a hurry. EMU is allowing 202.4 rushing yards per game this season, but Pitt is dead last in the ACC in rushing offense gaining just 120.7 per game. Both of these head coaches are winless in bowl games, so one of them will be getting the monkey off their back. It’s most likely Pat Narduzzi, but don’t count out the Eagles to spring the upset. Take points and don’t forget to sprinkle the moneyline.
PICK: Eastern Michigan +13.5
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Follow Jared Smith on Twitter: @jaredleesmith