The Pittsburgh Panthers are 6-0? Since when?

They’ve had some wild wins this year behind emerging quarterback Eli Holstein and a high-powered, balanced offensive attack.

But the 5-1 Syracuse Orange is no joke. Their 44-41 win over UNLV was one of college football’s best wins this season.

Read on for my Syracuse-Pittsburgh predictions and the best college football bets for Thursday’s prime-time ACC game (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh odds

Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh Prediction

I think the Panthers are going to drop a game. They needed a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback to beat Cincinnati and a 10-point fourth-quarter comeback to sneak past West Virginia.

The offense was abhorrent last week against Cal, where they won in a 17-15 game despite running 21 fewer plays and gaining 23 fewer yards.

However, there is also a lot to like about the Panthers. Their rushing attack is dangerous (fourth in EPA per Rush) behind top defender Desmond Reid (496 yards, 6.3 YPC) and Holstein’s dual-threat ability (350 yards, 7.6 YPC).

Their front seven is potent against the rush (10th in EPA per Rush allowed) and they rank in the top 50 nationally in Havoc and PFF’s Pass Rush grades.

But their secondary is a glaring weakness. The corners are starting to tear. Ryland Gandy and Rashad Battle have allowed 37 receptions on 61 targets (61% completion) for nearly 500 yards (8.2 yards per target).

They have consistently attacked deep down the field, with Gandy allowing an average depth of 18.7 yards. Pitt ranks 120th nationally in EPA per Pass and Pass Explosivity Allowed.

While Syracuse’s overall resume is in question, Kyle McCord shines in upstate New York, ranking among the top 15 qualified FBS quarterbacks in terms of EPA per Dropback and Pass Success Rate. He has amassed more than 2,100 yards in six games and leads the nation in Big-Time Throws with 21.

Jackson Meeks and Trebor Pena have proven to be pretty good wideouts. Meeks is averaging 2.5 yards per route, but it’s worth noting that Pena is listed as questionable on the injury report.

Tight end Oronde Gadsen is a unit from the slot – those McCord-to-Gadsen seam routes remind me of old Brady-to-Gronk passing concepts.

Syracuse’s pro-style offense is cooking, ranking 11th nationally in EPA per Pass and 13th in Success Rate. The Orange should move the ball against Pitt’s exploitable defensive backfield.

On defense, Syracuse has struggled without linebacker Marlowe Wax. The front seven are weak, causing the Dutch team to be bullied on the ground.

Defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson has done his best to keep it all to himself – the Orange ranks 51st nationally in explosiveness allowed, but 113th in success rate allowed.

Betting on college football?

While Pitt needs to move the ball consistently on the ground, I think Holstein’s carelessness will come back to bite him. He fumbled the ball five times, but the Panthers recovered four.

Add his twelve turnover-worthy passes to just five interceptions, and the Panthers are in for a major turnover regression.

Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh picks

I think the Panthers are overvalued and worth disappearing. But at the very least, McCord and Gadsen need to move the ball, score often and keep the game exciting for 60 minutes.

My numbers predict Syracuse to be closer to +4.5 than +5.5, so I’m willing to bet the Orange at +5 or better.

Best bet: Syracuse +5.5 (-110, bet365)

Why trust New York Post betting

Tanner McGrath has been a professional sports handicapper since 2018. He specializes in college sports and baseball and is a diehard fan of the Vermont Catamounts, the Miami Marlins and every underdog in the house. He found himself on the wrong end of the Miami Miracle in 2018, but made amends four years later by hitting a 40/1 long shot over Sandy Alcantara to win the NL Cy Young.