Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Rhode Island College Football Betting Odds

The No. 23 Pittsburgh Panthers avenged last season’s loss to Western Michigan in a 34-13 dominate victory over the Broncos. The Panthers were without starting quarterback Kedon Slovis and backup Nick Patti due to injuries, and won with redshirt freshman Nate Yarnell.

Yarnell played mistake-free football, going 9-for-12 for for 179 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers did most of their work on the ground, out-gaining Western Michigan 238 to 50 in rushing yards. Pittsburgh controlled the ball for 38:21 compared to Western Michigan’s 21:24.

Pittsburgh bettors were finally rewarded as the Panthers covered a 9.5-point spread at Pennsylvania sportsbooks. Over bettors (45.5) also cashed.

The newest AP polls moved Pitt from No. 23 to No. 24.

Pittsburgh comes home on Sept. 25 for a noon kickoff vs. Rhode Island, which fell to Delaware, 42-21, in Week 3. Pitt is a 34.5-point favorite against Rhode Island.

Rhode Island vs. Pittsburgh Panthers betting lines and preview

Rhode Island vs. Pitt betting preview

Pitt record 2-1; Rhode Island record 2-1
Pitt 1-2 ATS; Rhode Island 2-1 ATS
Pitt 2-1 O/U; Rhode Island 2-1 O/U
Pitt 33 avg points for; Rhode Island 30.33 avg points for
Pitt 26 avg points against; 25.67 avg points against

Players to watch for Pittsburgh

QB situation: Until Kedon Slovis comes back, the quarterback position will continue to be a point of interest. The Panthers proved they can compete with backup quarterbacks.
The running game: Before the week, head coach Pat Narduzzi said Nate Yarnell was the fourth-string quarterback. Yarnell was efficient completing 9-of-12 passes with no turnovers, but the Panthers relied heavily on their running game, calling 48 runs to 12 passes.
Israel Abanikanda: Singling out Abanikanda is important because he’s now the Panthers’ workhorse back. He rushed 31 times for 133 yards and a touchdown. Over the last two games the junior has gained 287 yards on 56 carries.

Rhode Island vs. Pittsburgh Week 4 betting insight

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh has Pittsburgh as a 35.5-point favorite vs. Rhode Island.

Max Schmerin, Sportsbook Manager at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, said his sportsbook has not released a moneyline for the game.

Since Rhode Island is an FCS school, there’s not as much hype surrounding this game compared to Pitt’s previous three games this season.

“When you have a matchup like this where the spread is in high 20s, 30s, or 40s, you typically won’t see a lot of action,” Schmerin said. “From a fan perspective, people are excited, however, from a betting perspective, it’s not on the top five list.”

Schmerin said this is the first time Pitt has not been in Rivers Casino Pittsburgh’s top five most bet games, but he expects them to be plenty of teasers by kickoff.