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TODAY'S PLAYS

Best Bet
Friday 10/0211:00 PMPITT to win+110Barstool BushLWLLL+3.93U15-12

Pitt's first road trip lands in a sold-out Lane, but Heintschel, a defense allowing 8.5 points and fresher legs off a Bucknell rout make the Panthers worth backing to win outright.

Point

  • Quarterback: Mason Heintschel has 13 TD passes, 1 interception and 2 six-TD games, so Pitt can keep pace if Lane turns this into a shootout.
  • Pitt defense: Pitt allows an ACC-best 8.5 points a game and has given up 2 passing TDs all year, and a defense like that holds up on the road.
  • Short week: Heintschel was done after just over 2 quarters against Bucknell, so Pitt's starters bring lighter legs into a 6-day turnaround.
  • Turner back: Running back Ja'Kyrian Turner, who has played only the opener, was upgraded to probable and gives Pitt a run game to pair with Heintschel.

Counterpoint

  • First road trip: Pitt has played all 4 games at Acrisure Stadium, so its first road game of the year is a sold-out Friday night at Lane.
  • Pitt injuries: Defensive end Zach Crothers is doubtful and safety Cruce Brookins is questionable, which thins both the front and the back of Pitt's best unit.

Neutral

  • Weather: Partly sunny and near 83 in the afternoon, then a 20% chance of showers after 9 PM local and calm wind, so neither team gets an edge.
  • Series: Virginia Tech leads the series 12-11 and won in 2023, but Franklin, Grunkemeyer and Heintschel were all somewhere else then.
Saturday 10/0312:00 AMNU to win+120Barstool BushLWLLL+3.93U15-12

Penn State shows up in a sold-out new building with its cornerback room gutted and a coach who just sat on a 17-0 lead, against the team that beat it last October.

Point

  • Last meeting: Northwestern won 22-21 at Beaver Stadium last October, the loss that got James Franklin fired, so these Wildcats have already beaten Penn State.
  • Penn State secondary: Cornerbacks Christian Askew, Joshua Johnson and Tyler Armstead are out and Daryus Dixson is questionable, which thins the group that has to cover Chiles.
  • Campbell's 2nd half: Matt Campbell admitted he coached not to 'screw it up' as a 17-0 lead over Wisconsin became a 24-20 loss, and that kind of caution keeps an underdog in the game.
  • The building: New Ryan Field opens sold out, with 35,000 seats as close as 48 feet to the sideline, a tight, loud room for a road offense short on receivers.

Counterpoint

  • Northwestern run defense: Northwestern ranks 128th nationally against the run and gave Indiana 271 rushing yards, an easy fallback for a Penn State team missing receivers.
  • Luke Dehnicke: The tight end caught 7 passes for 140 yards at Indiana and is now doubtful, taking away the target who hurt Indiana most last week.

Neutral

  • Weather: Clear, dry and around 60 degrees at kickoff with no rain in the forecast, so the conditions shouldn't help or hurt either offense.
  • Friday night: It's Northwestern's first Friday night Big Ten home game since Michigan State in 2021, and a building neither team has played in before.
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