Kent State Golden Flashes vs Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Pick & Prediction 8/31/24
ESNU will be covering the week one non-conference matchup between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Kent State Golden Flashes, set to kick off at 12:00 ET on Saturday, August 31st, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh enters the game as the heavy favorite with a -23.5 point spread. The over/under line is currently at 54.5 points. This will be the first game of the season for both teams.
KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES VS PITTSBURGH PANTHERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Pittsburgh Panthers -23.5
This game will be played at Acrisure Stadium at 12:00 ET on Saturday, August 31st.
WHY BET THE PITTSBURGH PANTHERS:
- We have the Pittsburgh Panthers winning this one by a score of 38 to 9
- Not only do we have the Pittsburgh Panthers winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -23.5
- We see this game finishing below the line of 54.5 points
Will The Kent State Golden Flashes Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs
Kent State enters the season with the 134th best power ranking in college football after finishing last season with a 1-11 record. The futures odds for the Golden Flashes to win the Mid-American Conference are set at +14800, giving them just a 0.6% chance of winning the conference, which is the lowest in the conference. Their chances of even making it to the Mid-American Conference title game are slim, with futures odds at +8000 (1%), placing them 8th out of 12 teams in the conference.
Last season, Kent State was the underdog in 11 out of their 12 games. This season, they have a 10.1% chance of being bowl-eligible, according to our pre-season rankings.
Tommy Ulatowski, who threw for 737 yards and seven touchdowns last season, is the top returning quarterback for Kent State. However, the Golden Flashes have also added JD Sherrod from Troy. Last season, Kent State’s passing game averaged just 163.8 yards per game, ranking 117th in the country. Overall, the offense was 105th in scoring, putting up just 14.7 points per game. The team’s struggles on third down were a major issue, as they converted only 29.7% of their third down chances, which was 121st in the nation.
In the running game, Kent State averaged just 106.5 yards per game, ranking 115th nationally. Gavin Garcia, who rushed for 544 yards last season, is the top returning running back for the Golden Flashes. In the receiving corps, Chrishon McCray, who had 610 receiving yards last season, is the top returner. Kent State also added transfer Stanley King from Northwestern State.
Kent State’s defense struggled last season, allowing 34.6 points per game. They had a tough time stopping the run, giving up 178.2 rushing yards per game, which ranked 137th in the nation. Despite this, the Golden Flashes were better against the pass, ranking 74th in passing yards allowed. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 56.4% of their passes against Kent State, but the defense allowed 7.9 yards per pass attempt, which was 117th nationally.
Are The Pittsburgh Panthers Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?
Pittsburgh is 53rd in our pre-season power rankings after finishing last season with a 3-9 record. The Panthers struggled on the road, going 0-6, but managed to win three games at home (3-3). Despite their tough season, we are giving them a 66% chance of being bowl-eligible this year.
Heading into the season, Pittsburgh has a 1.5% chance of winning the Atlantic Coast Conference. The futures market places them at +12300 to win the conference, giving them a 1% implied probability, which is 12th out of the 17 teams in the conference.
Pittsburgh’s passing game was not particularly effective last season, as they ranked 84th in passing yards per game and 90th in completion percentage. The Panthers also struggled on third down, converting just 31.3% of their opportunities (114th). Overall, they averaged 20.2 points per game, placing them 92nd in the country. On the ground, Pittsburgh ranked 117th in rushing yards per game, with just 103.5 yards per contest.
Heading into this season, the Panthers are looking for more production from quarterback Nate Yarnell, who threw for 595 yards and four touchdowns last year. Their top returning running back is Rodney Hammond Jr., who rushed for 547 yards and four touchdowns. They have also added Desmond Reid from Western Carolina to their backfield. The top returning receiver is Konata Mumpfield, who caught five touchdown passes and had 576 receiving yards last season.
Opposing offenses found success on the ground against Pittsburgh last season, rushing for an average of 152.2 yards per game. The Panthers’ defense also allowed 27.3 points per game, ranking them 47th in the nation. While their pass defense was better, ranking 67th in passing yards allowed, they struggled with a completion percentage of 62% (105th) and passer rating of 143.7 (113th).