Let’s call it even.
Week six is upon us, and the Syracuse Orange are returning home to face the Pittsburgh Panthers. Syracuse needs to beat Pitt on Saturday, and to do it they (theoretically) have cover the 4.5-point spread. That’s not too bad compared to being the underdog by 21 or 13 points the last two weeks.
Both Syracuse and Pittsburgh are 2-3 overall, showing some bright spots through the first five weeks. SU’s losses have all come by double digits, while Pitt has fallen by 19, 38 and 18 points, respectively.
Eric Dungey, Steve Ishmael and Ervin Philips will try to keep their momentum going offensively from NC State. Pitt stomped on Rice last week, but that was the first game all season in which the offense looked capable.
So 4.5 points? Let’s call it about even. Typically, home field is worth between three and three and a half points to Vegas, making this a one-point game (a toss-up) on a neutral field. Also, Syracuse is 3-1 against the spread this season, with the only loss being Middle Tennessee.
It’ll be homecoming this weekend, which should (hopefully) bring a larger crowd than we’ve seen so far. A win to break SU’s two-game losing streak would be a fitting present for the returning alumni.
