Oklahoma State at Pittsburgh College Football Week 3 Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Panthers were giant-killers last year, as they were the only team to beat eventual national champ Clemson — and they did so on the Tigers’ home field. When they tangled with Oklahoma State a year ago down in Stillwater, they almost took another big road win, falling 45-38. The Cowboys come into this game even more confident on offense, having routed South Alabama last Friday night, 44-7, while Pitt comes in having taken a 33-14 drubbing at Penn State last week. Check out our insights on this college football week 3 odds before you lock in your wagers.

Oklahoma State at Pittsburgh College Football Week 3 Betting Preview

Game Notes: #okstate Visits Pittsburgh to Wrap Up Non-Conference Slate – https://t.co/n4YJGyhJmz pic.twitter.com/oKaQFuNoDz

— Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) September 11, 2017

When: Saturday, September 16, 2017, 12:00 PM ET Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh TV: ESPN Radio: 93.7 FM – KSPI (Oklahoma State) / 93.7 The Fan (Pittsburgh) Live Stream: WatchESPN College Football Week 3 Odds: Oklahoma State -14, O/U 68

Series History

• Total Meetings: 1
• First Meeting: September 17, 2016. Stillwater, Texas
• Last Meeting: September 17, 2016. Stillwater, Texas
• All-Time Series: Oklahoma State 1-0-0
• Largest Margin of Victory: Oklahoma State 45-38 (2016)
• Longest Win Streak: Oklahoma State 1 (2016)
• Current Win Streak: Oklahoma State 1 (2016)

College Football Week 3 Betting Trends

• Oklahoma State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
• Oklahoma State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma State’s last 5 games
• Pittsburgh is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
• Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
• The total has gone OVER in 11 of Pittsburgh’s last 14 games

Why should you bet on the Cowboys?

Oklahoma State has always put offense first under head coach Mike Gundy, but their scoring is especially prolific this season. Over their first two games, they have won by a combined tally of 103-31. They piled up 505 yards of offense against South Alabama and gained 29 first downs. Their defense also was opportunistic, taking the ball away twice and scoring on one of those turnovers, hauling an interception back to the house. Quarterback Mason Rudolph is the linchpin to the Oklahoma State offense, and he has stood tall thus far, going 45 for 62 for 638 yards over the first two games combined, throwing for six touchdowns and running for two more. Justice Hill and J.D. King have each gained 159 yards on the young season and have each found the end zone once. Along with La’Darren Brown, the Cowboys have a highly talented trio to carry the ball and take the heat off Rudolph. It will be interesting to see if the defense can get another shutdown in Week Three against a team that put 38 on them on their home field a year ago.

Team Statistics

Offense:

• Average Score For: 51
• Total Yards: 572.5
• Rush Yards: 247.5
• Passing Yards: 325

Defense:

• Average Score Against: 15.5
• Total Yards: 303.5
• Rush Yards: 142.5
• Passing Yards: 161

Why should you put your money on the Panthers?

The Panthers’ offense was productive against Penn State, as they outgained the NIttany Lions by 30, got 10 more first downs and had the ball almost twice as long on offense. However, they committed three turnovers, one of which went the other way for a touchdown. Penn State also picked up a safety against Pitt. So the key for the Panthers in this matchup is ball security — and finishing drives. They didn’t find the end zone against Penn State until there were about 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The emphasis on ball security has to begin with quarterback Max Browne, who has already thrown two picks this year, with just one touchdown pass. Qadree Ollison averages more than five yards per carry, and Quadree Henderson is close to seven yards per attempt on the ground, so there is the potential for a strong running day from the Panther attack. If you like PItt, then you think that the high-octane offense from a year ago can reassert itself against an Oklahoma State team that definitely makes offense a priority, often leading to high-scoring affairs on both sides.

Team Statistics

Offense:

• Average Score For: 21
• Total Yards: 345
• Rush Yards: 181.5
• Passing Yards: 163.5

Defense:

• Average Score Against:27
• Total Yards: 365
• Rush Yards: 127.5
• Passing Yards: 237.5

College Football Week 3 Pick and Final Score Prediction

Pitt needed overtime to knock off FCS foe Youngstown State and got taken to the woodshed by Penn State. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State has demolished Tulsa and South Alabama. Losing James Conner from the backfield has hurt the Panthers — and seeing Nathan Peterman leave to play in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills was another blow to the Pitt offense. I see Oklahoma State coming in and cruising to a 48-16 win. As far as the point total goes, 68 points is a lot — and I’m not sure Pitt has the offense to keep up enough with Oklahoma State to break that barrier. So even though I’m predicting a big rout, I’m also going with the under here.