In a matchup of disappointing Big East teams the 5-6 Pitt Panthers will try to become bowl-eligible when they play the 3-8 Bulls of South Florida Saturday night in Tampa (7 pm ET, ESPN2).

In the early wagering the Panthers, who have beaten the Bulls four times in a row, were favored by six points.



View Pittsburgh vs South Florida Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: On the Sportsbook line for this matchup, the Bulls sat as 6-point underdogs, according to Sportsbook. The total, meanwhile, had not been posted early in the week, so check the lines pages for the latest.

Power Rankings / Prediction: The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Bulls rated this week at No. 80 and the Panthers sitting at No. 23. It may or may not play a role in OddsShark score prediction models that turned out a 31-19 result in favor of the Panthers this week.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up South Florida's No. 97-ranked offense (22.2 PPG) against a Panthers defense that ranks No. 23 at 21.2 PPG. The Bulls passing attack has averaged 225.2 yards per game, more than the Panthers give up through the air (204.7 YPG on average).

In comparing defenses, the Panthers own the league's No. 73-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 182.2 yards per game when on the road. South Florida, on the other hand, rates No. 89 this week in generating rushing yards at home.

Pittsburgh was a 27-6 Sportsbook in its last match at home against Rutgers. They covered the 1.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 33 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. Ray Graham ran through the Rutgers defense for 113 yards in Pittsburgh's last game, handing the Scarlet Knights a 27-6 setback on Saturday at Heinz Field.

In their last action, South Florida was a 27-10 loser on the road against Cincinnati. They failed to cover the 13.5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (37) was profitable news for UNDER bettors. In their last game, the Bulls were Week 13 losers coming out on the wrong end of 27-10 score against Cincinnati.


Pittsburgh Panthers Trends:
When playing in December are 7-3
When playing on grass are 5-5
After outgaining opponent are 3-7
When playing within the conference are 4-6

South Florida Bulls Trends:
When playing in December are 3-7
When playing on grass are 2-8
After being outgained are 1-9
When playing within the conference are 2-8

A few Panthers at Bulls trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing South Florida
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of South Florida's last 5 games
South Florida is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games at home
South Florida is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
South Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh