Pittsburgh vs. SMU Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 10

Reed Wallach | 4 Hours Ago

Oct 19, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) throws a pass against the Stanford Cardinal during the first quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Two surprising undefeated teams in ACC play meet on Saturday in a conference title game eliminator of sorts. 

SMU has responded well since a slow start to the season, but will face its toughest opponent in ACC play, the undefeated Pitt Panthers, who have been revitalized under a new offensive coordinator and a turnover-seeking defense. 

There are quarterback questions for both teams with SMU’s Kevin Jennings and Pitt’s Eli Holstein both on the injury report. Get the latest on both quarterback’s availability and our best bet. 

Pittsburgh vs. SMU Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Pittsburgh: +7.5 (-110)
• SMU: -7.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Pittsburgh: +235
• SMU: -295

Total:

• 58.5 (Over -114/Under -106)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Pittsburgh vs. SMU How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, November 2nd
• Game Time: 8:00 PM EST
• Venue: Gerald J. Ford Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): ACC Network
• Pittsburgh Record: 7-0
• SMU Record: 7-1

Pittsburgh vs. SMU Key Players to Watch

Pittsburgh 

Eli Holstein: Holstein exited the Panthers blowout win against Syracuse with an injury and his status is up in the air ahead of this game. The dual-threat quarterback has had some suspect decision-making, but he is the engineer of an offense that is top 20 in both EPA/Play and yards per play. 

SMU

Kevin Jennings: Jennings has gotten the SMU offense on track since becoming the full-time starter, but he regressed heavily against Duke, turning the ball over three times in the fourth quarter. However, he finished the game and led the Mustangs to an overtime win. Now, Jennings is on the injury report, but has been practiced, something to monitor in the lead up to this game. 

Pittsburgh vs. SMU  Prediction and Pick

Pitt deserves credit for being undefeated, but the team’s true rating is far worse than its mark in the win and loss column, catching more than a touchdown on the road against SMU. 

While the Panthers blew out Syracuse last Thursday, the scoreboard was incredibly lopsided due to the team’s three first-half pick-sixes to build up a huge lead. 

New offensive coordinator Cade Bell’s new offense has possibly slowed down, out-gained in the last two games by a total of more than 200 yards in the two victories, and now will face an SMU team that has the two-way prowess to out-class Pitt. 

With quarterback uncertainty, it may be tough to make a call as of this writing, but I’m going to target the Pitt team total under as my favorite bet. 

The Pitt offense has faced one defense inside the top half of the country in EPA/Play this season, scoring only 17 points against Cal. Now, on the road, and against a defense that is seventh in EPA/Play this season, I believe we see the team continue to struggle. 

Of course, if Holstein doesn’t play, the Pitt offense will suffer overall trotting out backup Nate Yarnell, but even with QB1, I believe the Panthers regress and struggle against an elite defense. 

PICK: Pitt Team Total UNDER 26.5

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33

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