#Israel Abanikanda

One of my favorite non-major bowl games, as the winning coach gets himself a nice mayo bath. Both the Terps and the Wolfpack have been dealing with opt-outs galore, with Maryland tight end CJ Dippre and NC State quarterback Devin Leary being the most notable absentees, as both players have hit the transfer portal (Dippre announced yesterday via…

Instead of cramming the rest of the bowl games into one article, I figured I'd split them up, with the Thursday and Friday games in this article, and predictions for the games on Saturday and Monday in one last MC&J picks piece that will drop in the near future. (All lines courtesy of Draftkings Sportsbook.) Both of these teams had their eyes on…

You've not been paying attention-and why would you have been?-but three OTE writers have recently become fathers, the two of us for the first time. Of course, as we all know, that comes with loads of spare time while the little potato just lies there and requires no attention or assistance from us, no sir. What follows is a set of previews of…

Two good (but mostly overlooked) teams will square off in El Paso on Friday, as the Pitt Panthers are set to take on the UCLA Bruins in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl - a game that's not always good but has never failed to be interesting. UCLA is the clear betting favorite in this one, coming in laying 7.5 points to the Panthers. The Bruins are 6-6…

Following a three-game slate on Thursday, the 2022 college football bowl season has one of its busiest days on Friday with 10 teams in action beginning at 12:00 PM EST as Maryland takes on (#23) NC State. With the day rounding out with the Orange Bowl at 8:00 PM EST, let's take a closer look at the spots I'm most dialed in on. (#21) Notre Dame vs.…

For the first time in five years, the Bruins are participating in bowl season. No. 18 UCLA football (9-3, 6-3 Pac-12) will play Pittsburgh (8-4, 5-3 ACC) at the Sun Bowl on Friday. The Bruins enter the game as six-point favorites coming off of their best regular season in eight years, while the Panthers will roll into El Paso without the starting…

The Bruins' five-year postseason drought will finally come to an end at the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Friday, giving the vast wave of seniors one last hurrah in blue and gold. WHO: UCLA vs. Pittsburgh DATE: Friday, Dec. 30 TIME: 11 a.m. PT LOCATION: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX TV: CBS - Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Jenny Dell…

Teams from the Pac-12 and ACC meet as No. 18 UCLA faces Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl on Friday. The Bruins can capture their first 10-win season since 2014 with a bowl victory in Chip Kelly's fifth season. It would be the team's first successful bowl appearance under Kelly after pulling out of the Holiday Bowl in 2021 due to the pandemic. Pitt…

The UCLA Bruins (9-3) are trying to win their first bowl in the Chip Kelly era (est. 2018) when they play the Pittsburgh Panthers (8-4) in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas Friday. Pitt has been decimated by the offseason (opt-outs and the transfer portal). While UCLA enters the Sun Bowl almost fully intact. This most certainly explains the line…

Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams was one of three Southern California players selected to The Associated Press All-America team released Monday. Offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees and defensive end Tuli Tuipulotu joined their quarterback to give USC more players on the first team than any other school. The AP All-America team is presented by…

Penn State and Pitt will both be underdogs when their bowl games kick off against Pac-12 foes over the next few days, with the Nittany Lions given a bit better chance than the Panthers of closing the season on a high note. Pennsylvania's online sportsbooks generally have Penn State as a 2.5-point underdog against Utah in the Rose Bowl next Monday,…

It was a bright season - for the most part - for Chip Kelly's UCLA Bruins in SoCal. So it seems appropriate for the No. 18 Bruins to be headlining the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against the Pitt Panthers from the ACC on Friday. UCLA's 9-3 record doesn't tell the story of how close Kelly's crew came to earning a berth in the College Football Playoff.…

Following a three-game slate on Thursday, the 2022 college football bowl season has one of its busiest days on Friday with 10 teams in action beginning at 12:00 PM EST as Maryland takes on (#23) NC State. With the day rounding out with the Orange Bowl at 8:00 PM EST, let's take a closer look at the spots I'm most dialed in on. (#21) Notre Dame vs.…

With the more premier bowl games kicking off this week including Clemson's Orange Bowl matchup against Tennessee and Utah's second straight appearance in the Rose Bowl, college football fans and bettors have a jam packed slate to indulge in. Handicapping bowl season remains a challenge with players opting out and entering the transfer portal along…

The Sun Bowl will see the UCLA Bruins entering a showdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers on Friday, December 30, 2022. Kickoff is at 2:00 PM ET on CBS. In their most recent game, the Bruins won 35-28 over the California Golden Bears. The Panthers are coming off of a 42-16 win over the Miami Hurricanes. Dorian Thompson-Robinson had 189 yards on…

Pitt defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was named Monday to the Associated Press All-America first team, his third such honor since the end of the regular season. Pitt running back Israel Abanikanda, who leads the nation in total touchdowns (21) and average per-game scoring (11.6), was named to the AP third team after rushing for 1431 yards. Kancey…

ATS Picks Season Record: 7-8 (5-1 last week) ATS Best Bet Season Record: 1-1 (1-0 last week This week's abbreviated ACC schedule brings us four conference showdowns, highlighted by a primetime matchup that sees No. 4 Clemson visit Florida State. The Atlantic remains as competitive as ever, with the Tigers as the current favorite, while we will get…

Penn State and Pitt both won every game they played in November, both got matched in bowl games against two of the top teams from the Pac-12, and both are underdogs to win - the Nittany Lions by about a field goal and Panthers by a touchdown. Pitt accepted a bid Sunday to play UCLA Dec. 30 in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas,…

As ACC teams prepare for the stretch run, it doesn't look like anybody is going to catch No. 5 Clemson (6-0 ACC) in the Atlantic and No. 17 North Carolina (4-0 ACC) in the Coastal. Both division leaders are in action on the road this weekend. #17 North Carolina (7-1) at Virginia (3-5) Spread: North Carolina -7.5 (-102), Virginia+7.5…

Duke travels to the Steel City Saturday for a matchup against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Ahead of the 12 p.m. game, the Blue Zone has you covered with our can't-miss prop bets: Although ranked 17th nationally to begin the season, Pittsburgh has disappointed, with upsets by Louisville and Georgia Tech. However, the Panthers have shown flashes of…

Conference play is now in full swing - every matchup except for one this week pits an ACC foe against one another. Miami is the only ACC school not in action, as they take some time to regroup after a tough loss to Middle Tennessee. Let's preview and pick each matchup for week five: Louisville (2-2) at Boston College (1-3) Spread: Louisville -14.5…

ATS Picks Season Record: 10-10 (3-2 last week) ATS Best Bet Season Record: 2-1 (1-0 last week) Many ACC teams are on bye once again this week, and Virginia took care of Georgia Tech 16-9 Thursday night. That leaves us with four ACC matchups to be played on Saturday, and the three highest ranked teams in the conference (No. 5 Clemson, No. 13 Wake…

We're over halfway through the college football season, and if you've been following our college football parlay picks, you've found yourself making some decent cash. We're back with another college football parlay and teaser for Week 8 after hitting our CFB parlay in back-to-back weeks. This weekend's slate may not be as exciting as last week, but…

Every win is important, but there's some extra incentive to win in Week 13. Not only are all of these teams facing one of their rivals, but many of them will have close to a month to think about their performance before suiting up for a Bowl. We're taking a look at every ACC matchup this weekend, along with odds presented by DraftKings…

Pitt (7-4, 4-3 ACC) and Miami (5-6, 3-4 ACC) face off in the last regular-season game for both teams this upcoming Saturday at Hark Rock Stadium in Miami. Bowl eligibility is on the the line for Miami while Pitt has already achieved that status. Miami has won the last four time these teams have played one another (2018-2021). The game is slated to…

On Saturday, the UNC football team will return to a sold-out Kenan Stadium for its homecoming game against Pittsburgh. Boasting a record of 6-1 and leading the ACC Coastal division by a significant margin, the Tar Heels are looking put their foot on the necks of the Panthers. North Carolina is riding on a high - already bowl eligible after just…

ACC opponents will clash when the Pittsburgh Panthers (7-4) meet the Miami Hurricanes (5-6). The Hurricanes (+207 on the moneyline to win) will play host to the Panthers (-6.5) on November 26, 2022 at 8:00 PM ET on ACCN. The point total for the contest is set at 43.5 points. The betting trends in the article below reference odds valid as of…

Penn State and Pitt both trounced their opponents by 30 points on Saturday, and they're favored again to win this week - though oddsmakers think the margins will be a little tighter. Temple, meanwhile, almost pulled off a stunning upset over Houston, only to succumb by 7 points in the final minute. They're a big underdog again against No. 22…

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After a stretch of populated bye weeks, Week 9 sees twelve ACC teams in action. Thursday night featured a showdown between No. 24 NC State and Virginia Tech, where the Wolfpack squeaked out a 22-21 victory. Three of the four highest ranked teams in the conference are in action on Saturday. Notre Dame (4-3) at No. 16 Syracuse (6-1) Spread: Syracuse…

First and foremost - the Virginia Cavaliers canceled this week's game against Coastal Carolina in light of the terrible events that occurred last Sunday. Our hearts go out to the families of the three victims, and all those affected by this tragedy. After the No. 9 Clemson Tigers (7-0 ACC) and No. 13 North Carolina (6-0 ACC) Tar Heels acquired big…

Before every game this season, our football beat writers predict whether the Blue Devils will pick up a win in their weekly matchup and keep track of their records throughout the year. Duke is set for one last road game Saturday against Pittsburgh with a four-game winning streak on the line. Jonathan Levitan: Duke 21-20 The Panthers are getting…

Quarterback Kedon Slovis (9) passes the ball off to junior running back Israel Abanikanda (2) during Pitt football's game against Rhode Island on Sept. 24. After rattling off a couple of wins over ACC opponents, Pitt looks to extend its conference win streak to three games when they take on Duke this Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. Pitt is currently…

The College Football Playoff and the Bowl Championship Series before it made No. 1 vs. No. 2 rather routine in the postseason. Before all that, back in the old bowl system, everything needed to fall into place just right so No. 1 could play No. 2 for a national title. Then the BCS-style postseason was built to create that outcome, which was a good…

No. 3 Michigan vaulted to No. 3 in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings this week, but it can't get caught looking past this Nebraska team if it wants to maintain its positioning in the top four. Luckily for Wolverines fans, that isn't likely to be the case as Michigan has made a habit of beating up on bad teams this season. The primary…

Week 11 sees all 14 ACC teams playing against each other for the first time in the 2022 season. Despite their first loss of the year, the No. 10 Clemson Tigers still hold a firm grip on the Atlantic (6-0 ACC) while the No. 15 North Carolina Tar Heels continue to dominate in the Coastal (5-0 ACC). Virginia Tech (2-7) at Duke (6-3) Spread: Duke -9.5…

Virginia football is facing a must win game against Pittsburgh, if they want to keep its bowl game hopes alive this season. The Cavaliers are coming off two straight losses, while the Panthers are coming into the match up on a high, after beating Syracuse last weekend. The'Hoos, however, looked better offensively last weekend. Can they build off of…

The college football season is here, and that means it's time for the final conference power rankings from around the country. How do things look in the ACC this year? Pittsburgh comes in as defending league champs, but quarterback Kenny Pickett is gone, while conference runner-up Wake Forest will be without QB Sam Hartman, the heart of its…

The defending Atlantic Coast Conference Champion Pittsburgh Panthers come to Charlottesville to take on the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday. There's a lot at stake in this matchup, as Pitt can become the 9th ACC team to clinch bowl eligibility with a win over UVA, while Virginia needs to win each of its last three games in order to get to the…

Syracuse's 6-0 start has faded from view amid a three-game losing skid. A home date with the Seminoles isn't a great get-right spot but Florida State's inconsistency could keep the Orange hanging around - our college football betting picks have more. The Syracuse Orange will try to end a three-game losing streak when they host the Florida State…

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports Pittsburgh has a 11-2 record this season (10-3 against the spread) Michigan State has a 10-2 record this season (8-3-1 against the spread) First matchup between these two teams since 2007 The 2021 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl presents us with a matchup between the ACC Champion Pittsburgh Panthers against the Michigan State…

Week 9 of the college football schedule is here and now it's time to make our betting picks against the spread for the top games Lines courtesy of SI Sportsbook No. 2 Ohio State (-15.5) at No. 13 Penn State. By far the toughest team on OSU's schedule to date, Penn State boasts a gifted run stop, but its consistency against quality competition is in…

ACC rivals will clash when the Pittsburgh Panthers (5-4) battle the Virginia Cavaliers (3-6). The Cavaliers, +157 on the moneyline to win, and the Panthers, listed at -4.5 on the spread, kick things off on November 12, 2022 at 12:00 PM ET on ACCN. The total for the matchup is set at 40.5 points. This article refers to odds updated as of November 8,…

Miami was the trendy ACC conference championship pick, but it has gone poorly for Mario Cristobal's team in his first season with the Hurricanes. Miami is losers of three straight, now 2-3 on the season, and will host another team with a first year head coach in Virginia Tech, who is 2-4 under Brent Pry. Can one team get on track in Blacksburg,…

Pennsylvania's NCAA football teams all had a chance to come away with impressive wins late in last Saturday's games, only to end up with disappointing losses. This week, Penn State is favored to make a big rebound at Indiana, Pitt is a small favorite at home over nationally ranked Syracuse, and Temple is given so little credit that it's a home…

The College Football Playoff and the Bowl Championship Series before it made No. 1 vs. No. 2 rather routine in the postseason. Before all that, back in the old bowl system, everything needed to fall into place just right so No. 1 could play No. 2 for a national title. Then the BCS-style postseason was built to create that outcome, which was a good…

Now we're getting to the meat and potatoes of the college football season. We've got two ranked teams in action on Thursday from Power 5 conferences. In one game, our model is expecting the ranked side at home to demolish their conference foe. In the other, I'd be wary of expecting as many points as the public is. How should we bet on these…

On Saturday at 3:30 PM ET, two excellent running backs will be on display when Israel Abanikanda and the Pittsburgh Panthers (4-4) host Sean Tucker and the Syracuse Orange (6-2). The Panthers head into this matchup following a 42-24 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in their last game. The Orange are coming off of a loss to the Notre Dame…

On Thursday, the Virginia Tech Hokies (2-5) will clash with the (#24) North Carolina State Wolfpack (5-2) in a standalone ACC matchup. The reeling Hokies have lost four straight, most recently falling short of the Miami Hurricanes 20-14. Miami entered the fourth quarter up 20-0 and ultimately held on despite two late touchdowns from VT QB Grant…

The Pittsburgh Panthers will face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the ACC Championship game on Saturday, December 4 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. No. 17 Pitt ended their regular season with a 31-14 win on the road against Syracuse. It gave the Panthers their tenth win of the season, the f irst time they have achieved double-digit wins…