The best sportsbooks for US players opened the Panthers as 4.5-point favorites in the Peach Bowl. But Kenny Pickett’s absence has tipped the line seven points over to Michigan State -2.5. The total has also sunk to 57 points after it opened at 63 points on the best online sportsbooks. Pittsburgh is 1-7 SU in its past eight games against Big Ten opponents.
The Pittsburgh Panthers (11-2 SU, 10-3 ATS) ended the regular season on a 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS stretch led by quarterback Pickett. The Panthers will be sans Pickett in the Peach Bowl against the Michigan State Spartans (10-2, 8-3-1). He has decided to skip the game and declare for the NFL draft.
Michigan State vs. Pitt Panthers Peach Bowl Odds
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh U | +2½ ( -105 ) | 56 ( -110 ) | +117 |  |
| Michigan State | -2½ ( -115 ) | 56 ( -110 ) | -137 | |
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Betting Pittsburgh
The Panthers are the underdogs according to the best sportsbooks for US players. Pittsburgh had a 45-21 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons to capture the ACC championship. And end the regular season with a 9-1 SU and 8-2 ATS record.
Kenny Pickett passed for 253 yards, two touchdowns and one rushing TD. The senior QB registered 4,319 passing yards and 42 passing TDs this season with only seven picks. A three-point loss to Western Michigan and a four-point loss to Miami kept the Panthers from getting a 13-0 SU record.
Pickett led the Panthers to their first bowl win since 2013 in 2019. As well as their first ACC championship in the history of the school. He leaves the program ahead of the Peach Bowl, putting the starting quarterback gig in the hands of backup Nick Patti.
Pittsburgh is sixth in the country in rushing defense. They will face a Michigan State rushing attack that has just lost one of the country’s top running backs. If Nick Patti plays proficiently and the Panthers don’t let the Spartans impose their running game, Pittsburgh could get the upset even sans Pickett.
Betting Michigan State
The Spartans are slight faves per the best sportsbooks for US players. Hours prior to Pickett announcing he wouldn’t play in this game, Michigan State star running back Kenneth Walker III did likewise.
Walker ended his season second in the nation in rushing yards with 1,636. He scored 19 TDs. The junior back ran for 197 yards and five TDs in Michigan State’s 37-33 upset of Michigan back in October.
The Spartans finished their regular season with a 2-2 SU and ATS record in their last four games after they went 8-0 SU and 6-1-1 ATS in their first eight games. Walker ran for 138 rushing yards on 30 attempts in Michigan State’s 30-27 upset of the Penn State Nittany Lions in the team’s last game.
Payton Thorne has had a hit-and-miss season. His play in this one will surely determine Michigan State’s destiny. These two defenses are great versus the rush and bad versus the pass. Thorne winning the quarterback battle against an untried backup should lead be the difference maker.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Pitt Panthers Peach Bowl Picks
The Michigan State Spartans get the benefit of the doubt here. They’re from the superior conference this season. They’re seen at as the big, and physical, and nasty team. However, the Pittsburgh Panthers have been turning people´s heads all season.
Despite a weak schedule they’re one of the top offensive teams in the country. Pittsburgh’s sixth ranked passing offense is sure to give a 130th rated Michigan State pass defense a hard time. We’ve all made money on Pittsburgh this season, so let’s not be too keen on stepping in front of this team. Take the dog.
