I was not very high on Pitt’s offense this season and after watching them struggle to do anything offensively last week downgraded them in my power ratings. Now UVA is no defensive slouch but they do not crack my top 30 either. There was a decent amount of enthusiasm going into the year but after their performance in week 1, season ticket holders woke up to a wide range of discounts in what can only be seen as a desperate act to keep fans involved. Another factor in this game is the start time, this game will kick off at 11am local time. This goes a long way in discouraging fans, especially students to go out in droves like you might see for a night game, which allows more “prep time” if you will.
Last year this Bobcats team lost three of their four games by a combined nine points. Typically known for their defense and ability to run the football, their QB Nathan Rourke is a true dual threat. Rourke threw for 250+ yards in three games last season and is poised to be even better this year. He was able to connect with eight different receivers last week and the offense featured four running backs who all averaged over 4.5 yards per carry last week. I think this Pitt offense will have a hard time keeping up offensively and Ohio will be able to make enough stops to win this game outright. Taking the points here to protect us from a game winning FG but strong enough play to toss half a unit on the moneyline.
The Pick(s): Ohio Bobcats +5.5** This line has moved to down to +4 since I released it, I still like it.
Ohio Moneyline +185
Follow Tom on Twitter @TheJudgeSports.Tom is off a 2-0 Friday night on Wake -18 and Wake 2H -7.5
51-29 ATS (63.8%) College Football 2018.
