College Football Betting Line – Pittsburgh Favored vs. Kentucky in Birmingham Bowl. Pittsburgh is favored on the college football betting line against Kentucky in Saturday’s Compass Birmingham Bowl.The game will be televised on ESPN and may get a little action in college football lines at Sbg global.com before the NFL Wild Card games begin later in the afternoon.
Pittsburgh -3.5, total 52
The Panthers will have an interim head coach in this game as Dave Wannstedt is out. He had six seasons at Pittsburgh but never did enough to get the Panthers to the next level. He was 42-31 in his six years at Pitt. The Panthers hired Michael Haywood as their head coach but they had to fire him last week because he got himself into legal trouble. Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett will coach the team for the bowl game.
Panthers
Pittsburgh went 7-5 overall and 5-2 in the Big East. The Panthers had their moments but many times they were disappointing. They averaged 26.2 points per game but it was really a seasons of unfulfilled promise for the Panthers. Running back Dion Lewis had 956 yards but he was expected to be much better. Quarterback Tino Sunseri played pretty well as he threw for 2,476 yards with 15 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. The Pittsburgh defense is led by Jabaal Sheard who was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year. The Panthers allowed just 19.8 points per game.
Wildcats
The Wildcats finished 6-6 this season. They will not have quarterback Mike Hartline who was suspended for this game. Sophomore Morgan Newton is expected get the start. Kentucky will look to Randall Cobb for their offense as he threw three TDs, rushed for five TDs, caught seven passes for TDs and scored on a punt return. The Wildcats averaged 33 points per game this season. Kentucky’s defense is not very good as they gave up 28.5 points per game this season.
Game Facts
As you consider which team to take in this game, keep in mind that the Wildcats are 12-3-1 vs. the college football lines in their last 16 non-conference games. The Wildcats are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games as an underdog. The Panthers are 6-2 against the college football betting line in their last 8 games as a favorite.