Pitt is just under two weeks from the season opener against Kent State, and the betting odds favor the Panthers in a major blowout.
Pitt is a 24-point favorite against Kent State, according to Circa Sports. The line has moved slightly more in favor of the Panthers after Week 1 spreads were first released earlier this year. The total point spread has been set at 54 and the money line odds at -2700 for Pitt and +1400 for Kent State.
DraftKings has set Pitt as a 23.5-point favorite, with a bet for and against the spread holding -110 odds. The total point spread has been set at 53.5 points and the money line odds at -2800 for Pitt and +1300 for Kent State.
FanDuel has set Pitt as a 24.5-point favorite, with a bet for Pitt to cover art -115. The total point spread has been set at 54.5 points and the money line odds at -4000 for Pitt and +1400 for Kent State.
It will be the seventh time that Pitt and Kent State have met all time when the Golden Flashes come to Acrisure Stadium on Aug. 31, with a time still to be announced.
The Pitt-Kent State series dates back to a 27-6 win against the Golden Flashes in 1970. Pitt has won all seven games in the series by an average of 27 points — with matchups in 1970, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2003.
The most recent meeting came back in 2003, a 43-3 victory in which Rod Rutherford threw for 288 yards and four touchdowns — three of which went to Larry Fitzgerald.
Kent State is coming off a brutal 1-11 (0-8 MAC) season, the first in the Kenni Burns era. He walked into a tough situation, following former coach Sean Lewis bolting for the Colorado offensive coordinator job and a mass exodus to the transfer portal. But it doesn’t seem as though the Flashes are positioned for any sort of major bounce back.
To be fair though, Pitt is looking for a major bounceback of its own.
Pitt is entering the 2024 season with a “Prove It” mantra. The Panthers, the coaching staff, the players and everyone in the building, know that last season will not be forgotten unless a better result is put in.
The season will largely hinge upon whether or not there’s solid quarterback play. Nate Yarnell is entering the summer as the starting quarterback. Still, as Pat Narduzzi has emphasized, there will be competition all the way up until kickoff against Kent State on Aug. 31. But whoever is at quarterback, he will have Rodney Hammond Jr., Desmond Reid, Konata Mumpfield, Kenny Johnson and Gavin Bartholomew, among others, at this disposal.
It remains to be seen whether new offensive coordinator Kade Bell’s offense will immediately translate, but if Yarnell or Eli Holstein can play serviceable football, it will go a long way in 2024.
“There’s a different attitude, without a doubt,” Narduzzi said last week. “There’s got to be — we went through spring ball, there was a different attitude. We went through winter conditioning, there was a different attitude. They went through summer conditioning, there was a different attitude, and there has to be. There’s got to be an attitude adjustment. I think that has occurred and I think they got it.”
The defense did suffer significant losses, but the positions of need have been bolstered through the transfer portal and a few areas defensively are entering the summer with a significant amount of depth. The defensive line and cornerback are still areas of concern, but the portal arrivals will likely be key members of both units. And the linebackers and safeties are clear areas of strength.
It will come down to whether or not the offense can take a step up from where it was last season.
The only other early game line for Pitt is the Backyard Brawl, scheduled for Sept. 14 at Acrisure Stadium, and West Virginia is favored by 4.5 points — with odds for either spread set at -110.
don’t really know much about Kent but if they are early into a rebuilding, you can easily see 24+. even though we are implementing a new O, there are plenty of potential weapons and 1 TD a qtr is not unreasonable to expect. will come down to how many points the D allows. H2P !