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Cal vs. Pitt college football: Betting preview, odds and best bet
The No. 22 Panthers are favorites of around a field goal at most sportsbooks
The Cal Golden Bears head east on Saturday to take on the Pitt Panthers in what will be the first ACC matchup between these two schools.
The geographic distance is not the only thing separating these two ACC teams. Cal enters the game at 3-2 overall but is coming off two straight losses in conference play. The Golden Bears fell to Florida State and Miami in their last two games. Meanwhile Pitt is 5-0 after earning its first ACC victory last week.
Here are the latest betting odds for the Cal vs. Pitt matchup below. The odds are provided by the top college football sportsbooks.
| Team | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal | +130 ML / +3.5 (-115) / O 59.5 (-110) | +135 ML / +3.5 (-110) / O 59.5 (-110) | +135 ML / +3 (-110) / O 59.5 (-110) |
| Pitt | -156 ML / -3.5 (-105) / U 59.5 (-110) | -160 ML / -3.5 (-110) / U 59.5 (-110) | -160 ML / -3 (-110) / U 59.5 (-110) |
Why Cal can cover
The Bears have lost two straight, but the two games were some of the toughest of the season to date. Cal fell at home in a devastating come-from-ahead loss, 39-38, to No. 6 Miami last week after losing, 14-9, in Tallahassee on Sep. 21. Those two losses shouldn’t take anything away from the Bears.
Cal beat Auburn on the road before ACC play and won its other two nonconference games by solid margins. If a couple of plays went the Bears’ way against Florida State and Miami, this could be an undefeated Cal squad.
Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza has improved in his sophomore season. Preseason All-America running back Jaydn Ott is probable to play against Pitt after being in-and-out of the lineup all season due to an ankle injury. On the point spread, Cal is a +3.5-point road underdog at sportsbooks such as FanDuel.
Why Pitt can cover
The Panthers have cracked the Top 25 for the first time this season after winning their fifth straight game to open the year. Pitt knocked off North Carolina on the road last week to go 5-0 and 1-0 in conference.
The team is led by quarterback Eli Holstein, who transferred from Alabama. He leads one of the highest-paced offenses in the country, running nearly 74 plays per game. He is flanked by Desmond Reid, who has been one of the most productive running backs in all of college football, and a true No. 1 receiver in Konata Mumpfield.
Best bet for Cal vs. Pitt: Over 59.5 points (-110, BetMGM)
Pitt and Cal rank 23rd and 49th, respectively, in plays run per game. The rapid tempo of both offenses lends itself to this game’s high over/under of 59.5 points. Given the track record of these teams, the track meet-like prediction makes sense.
The market still may be underestimating that impact on scoring. Models that integrate total points scored may miss that two of Cal’s scores last week came on defense, significantly inflating its 38-point output and altering the efficiency number of its offense. If even some small portion of the market is missing those signals, the 59.5 number could be a little low.
The value is on Over 59.5 points. Currently, the best price is at BetMGM.
