Against the Odds: Pitt favored against Virginia for Homecoming

Many of us expect Pitt to pull out a win against Virginia this week for Homecoming. It seems the oddsmakers have that feeling, too.

While the line isn't always indicative of who should win a game, Vegas has the installed the Panthers as 9 1/2-10 point favorites for Saturday. The line opened at 10 before falling a bit then increasing.

Pitt has a lot in its favor for this game. They are playing at home, should be in front of a big crowd for Homecoming, and are fresh off a nice road win against Virginia Tech. The Panthers face, too, what appears to be one of the weaker teams in the conference. While Virginia has played a difficult schedule to date, the fact remains that they are only 1-3, won by only six against William & Mary, and were on the losing end of an embarrassing 56-14 loss to Boise State last weekend.

Overall, 10 points is a fairly big number in a conference game. Obviously it's not unheard of, but is more than the three-seven point spreads you often see in these situations.

As Pitt fans, we know all too well that guaranteeing a win under any circumstances is folly. However, according to Vegas, the Panthers appear to have a very winnable game in front of them.

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