Playing The Odds: NFL Week 13, NCAA Week 14

Playing The Odds is your weekly look at the Vegas betting lines for our Pittsburgh-area football teams. Playing The Odds is offered solely for entertainment purposes. SB Nation Pittsburgh does not promote gambling, unless Pitt and Penn State start playing yearly games again. Then all bets are on. All lines are accurate as of Tuesday morning of each week. Feel free to use the comments to tell us who you think will be victorious.

Saturday, December 4
12:00p - West Virginia Mountaineers (-20) vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
West Virginia finds itself atop the Big East standings heading into the final regular season weekend, tied with Connecticut at 4-2 in conference play. Unfortunately, due to a loss at UConn in October, the Huskies would get the BCS bid if both teams win out. The Mountaineers should be able to easily handle Rutgers and then sit back and root for South Florida to knock of UConn in their 8pm meeting in Tampa.

12:00p - Pittsburgh Panthers (-2) at Cincinnati Bearcats
Like West Virginia, Pitt needs some help to get the Big East's BCS bid. Unfortunately, part of that help includes a WVU loss, an outcome highly unlikely to happen. Because of this, and since they have dropped two of the last three, the Panthers need to be careful not to slide even further down the Big East bowl selection list. Pitt should still win, but it might be closer than some Panther fans would like.

Sunday, December 5
8:20p - Pittsburgh Steelers (+3) at Baltimore Ravens
Ah, Rivalry Week. Hines vs. Ed. Ben vs. Ray. Mike vs. John. This is the week that fans of both teams look forward to, maybe moreso in Pittsburgh due to Baltimore's earlier victory over the Steelers. Both teams sit at 8-3, tied for the division lead (Baltimore holds the current tiebreaker with the head-to-head victory). To break the tie, the Steelers need a victory in this game (among other tiebreaker requirements). However, that task is easier said than done. Once again, expect a close, field position-based matchup.

Playing The Odds: Week 12/13 Recap

Playing The Odds is your weekly look at the Vegas betting lines for our Pittsburgh-area football teams. Playing The Odds is offered solely for entertainment purposes. SB Nation Pittsburgh does not promote gambling, unless Pitt and Penn State start playing yearly games again. Then all bets are on. All lines are accurate as of Tuesday morning of each week. Feel free to use the comments to tell us who you think will be victorious.

Friday, November 26
12:00p - West Virginia Mountaineers at Pitt Panthers (-2)
What We Said: At long last, the biggest college football game in the region has arrived. The Panthers hold the Big East conference lead, but a loss to WVU puts the Mountaineers and the UConn Huskies in the drivers seat. These teams are very evenly matched and you have to think that opening line is simply the home field advantage. This game could go either way, but expect the score to be close.

What Happened: The game may have been evenly matched on paper, but the score was all West Virginia, as the Mountaineers rolled to a 35-10 victory. Heinz Field proved to be unfriendly confines for the Panthers, who now need a lot of help to jump West Virginia and UConn for the Big East's BCS bid.

Saturday, November 27
12:00p - Penn State Nittany Lions (+2) vs. Michigan State Spartans
What We Said: This is the last time these teams will meet for the vaunted Land Grant Trophy, a trophy so ugly if Michigan State wins, they just might "accidentally" leave it at Beaver Stadium. Penn State has owned this series in recent times, winning six of the last eight meetings. This time, though, the Spartans come in as the 10th ranked team in the country.

What Happened: The Spartans won a game in Happy Valley for the first time in 45 years, ending the "rivalry" of the Big Ten's two most recent additions (until Nebraska joins the fold in 2011). The Spartans were the better team for three quarters before a fierce Penn State comeback that fell just short. Michigan State won, 28-22.

Sunday, November 28
1:00p - Pittsburgh Steelers (-6) at Buffalo Bills
What We Said: After a few marquee games in a row, the Steelers were blessed playing a potentially-good-yet-currently-struggling Oakland Raiders team. Even better, they follow that game up with a trip to Buffalo. The Bills started out 0-8 but have strung together two wins against Detroit and Cincinnati. Don't let the winning streak fool you; Pittsburgh will win this game with ease.

What Happened: Well, who saw the way this game was played coming? Taking the 2-win Bills to overtime and needing a Shaun Suisham field goal with 2:14 left to win was not what the Steelers were hoping for in Buffalo. Steelers win 19-16, but this game took much more effort than the team (and fans) would have hoped.

Playing The Odds: NFL Week 12, NCAA Week 13

Playing The Odds is your weekly look at the Vegas betting lines for our Pittsburgh-area football teams. Playing The Odds is offered solely for entertainment purposes. SB Nation Pittsburgh does not promote gambling, unless Pitt and Penn State start playing yearly games again. Then all bets are on. All lines are accurate as of Tuesday morning of each week. Feel free to use the comments to tell us who you think will be victorious.

Friday, November 26
12:00p - West Virginia Mountaineers at Pitt Panthers (-2)
At long last, the biggest college football game in the region has arrived. The Panthers hold the Big East conference lead, but a loss to WVU puts the Mountaineers and the UConn Huskies in the drivers seat. These teams are very evenly matched and you have to think that opening line is simply the home field advantage. This game could go either way, but expect the score to be close.

Saturday, November 27
12:00p - Penn State Nittany Lions (+2) vs. Michigan State Spartans
This is the last time these teams will meet for the vaunted Land Grant Trophy, a trophy so ugly if Michigan State wins, they just might "accidentally" leave it at Beaver Stadium. Penn State has owned this series in recent times, winning six of the last eight meetings. This time, though, the Spartans come in as the 10th ranked team in the country.

Sunday, November 28
1:00p - Pittsburgh Steelers (-6) at Buffalo Bills
After a few marquee games in a row, the Steelers were blessed playing a potentially-good-yet-currently-struggling Oakland Raiders team. Even better, they follow that game up with a trip to Buffalo. The Bills started out 0-8 but have strung together two wins against Detroit and Cincinnati. Don't let the winning streak fool you; Pittsburgh will win this game with ease.

Playing The Odds: Week 11/12 Recap

Playing The Odds is your weekly look at the Vegas betting lines for our Pittsburgh-area football teams. Playing The Odds is offered solely for entertainment purposes. SB Nation Pittsburgh does not promote gambling, unless Pitt and Penn State start playing yearly games again. Then all bets are on. All lines are accurate as of Tuesday morning of each week. Feel free to use the comments to tell us who you think will be victorious.

Sat., Nov. 20
12:00 p.m. - Penn State Nittany Lions (-10.5) @ Indiana Hoosiers
What We Said: Both of these teams are coming off of big losses, but Penn State still has enough left in the tank to take care of the Hoosiers. Bret Bielema and the Wisconsin Badgers dropped 83 points on this Indiana team a week ago, so regardless of who is under center for Penn State, I like their chances.

What Happened: Matt McGloin played his best, most complete game yet and Penn State won easily, 41-24. Anyone keeping track at home knows the Indiana defense has now given up 124 points in the past two games. So in conclusion, if you're team needs a morale boost, schedule Indiana.

12:00 p.m. - Pitt Panthers (-3) at South Florida Bulls
What We Said: The injury bug bit the Panthers again, as Greg Romeus is out for the season. However, Pitt is riding a two-game winning streak in this series, and should head into Tampa determined to keep their Big East title hopes alive and well. A Pitt loss would completely turn the Big East title race on its end.

What Happened: South Florida tried to keep this game close, and succeeded as the teams went into the fourth quarter tied. A 22-yard Dion Lewis TD in the fourth was all the Panthers needed, though, as they kept control of their own BCS bid destiny.

12:00 p.m. - West Virginia Mountaineers (-6.5) @ Louisville Cardinals
What We Said: On the back of Geno Smith's monster game last week, the Mountaineers look to stay in the hunt for the Big East title, and the Cardinals should not be much of a match for WVU. West Virginia has won the past three matchups in this conference series.

What Happened: Neither team played particularly well, but the Mountaineers held off the Cardinals in the end with two rushing touchdowns from two different rushers. Louisville's only TD came on a recovered fumble in the end zone.

Sun, Nov. 21
1:00 p.m. - Pittsburgh Steelers (-9.5) vs. Oakland Raiders
What We Said: The Steelers are in need of a strong victory, and the Raiders are just the team to go up against in such a situation. Sitting at a surprising 5-4, the Raiders might look decent on paper. Keep in mind, though, that Al Davis still runs this team. The Pittsburgh defense should be able to keep whatever weapons the Raiders have in check.

What Happened: A strong victory is what the Steelers got, crushing the Raiders 35-3. The refs did not make it easy for the Steelers, but a Richard Seymour ejection and a great statistical game from Ben Roethlisberger helped the Steelers cruise to victory.

Pittsburgh Through Vegas' Eyes: Week Ending 11/21

Playing The Odds is your weekly look at the Vegas betting lines for our Pittsburgh-area football teams. Playing The Odds is offered solely for entertainment purposes. SB Nation Pittsburgh does not promote gambling, unless Pitt and Penn State start playing yearly games again. Then all bets are on. All lines are accurate as of Tuesday morning of each week. Feel free to use the comments to tell us who you think will be victorious.

Saturday, November 20
12:00pm - Penn State Nittany Lions (-10.5) at Indiana Hoosiers (at FedEx Field, Washington DC)
Both of these teams are coming off of big losses, but Penn State still has enough left in the tank to take care of the Hoosiers. Bret Bielema and the Wisconsin Badgers dropped 83 points on this Indiana team a week ago, so regardless of who is under center for Penn State, I like their chances.

12:00pm - Pitt Panthers (-3) at South Florida Bulls
The injury bug bit the Panthers again, as Greg Romeus is out for the season. However, Pitt is riding a two game winning streak in this series, and should head into Tampa determined to keep their Big East title hopes alive and well. A Pitt loss would completely turn the Big East title race on its end.

12:00pm - West Virginia Mountaineers (-6.5) at Louisville Cardinals
On the back of Geno Smith's monster game last week, the Mountaineers look to stay in the hunt for the Big East title, and the Cardinals should not be much of a match for WVU. West Virginia has won the past three matchups in this conference series.

Sunday, November 21
1:00pm - Pittsburgh Steelers (-9.5) vs. Oakland Raiders
The Steelers are in need of a strong victory, and the Raiders are just the team to go up against in such a situation. Sitting at a surprising 5-4, the Raiders might look decent on paper. Keep in mind, though, that Al Davis still runs this team. The Pittsburgh defense should be able to keep whatever weapons the Raiders have in check.

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Playing The Odds: Week 10 Recap

Playing The Odds is your weekly look at the Vegas betting lines for our Pittsburgh-area football teams. Playing The Odds is offered solely for entertainment purposes. SB Nation Pittsburgh does not promote gambling, unless Pitt and Penn State start playing yearly games again. Then all bets are on. All lines are accurate as of Tuesday morning of each week. Feel free to use the comments to tell us who you think will be victorious.

Thursday, November 11
7:30pm – Pitt Panthers (-6.5) @ Connecticut Huskies
What We Said: Pitt continues to control its own destiny in the Big East, and a win over UConn will keep them at least two games ahead of any other challenger. The Panthers should take care of the Huskies, unless the Pitt team that showed up against a weak Notre Dame or overrated Miami team shows up to play. Greg Romeus is listed as probable.

What Happened: The "other" Pitt team showed up, riding a poor special teams showing to a 30-28 loss in Connecticut.

Saturday, November 13
12:00pm – West Virginia Mountaineers (-6.5) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
What We Said: West Virginia should snap a two game Bearcat winning streak in this game, but don’t be surprised if Cincinnati QB Zach Collaros, who missed last week’s game against Syracuse, returns with something to prove.

What Happened: Collaros returned, but had a poor showing (two interceptions) that helped the Mountaineers glide to a 27-point victory.

3:30pm – Penn State Nittany Lions (+17.5) @ Ohio State Buckeyes
What We Said: The Nittany Lions are coming off three straight wins and are peaking at the right time in the season, but the Buckeyes will be tough to beat in Columbus, featuring a very tough defense. Like the last time these two met in Ohio, expect a close game.

What Happened: After throwing for the first two passing touchdowns in Ohio Stadium under Joe Paterno, Matt McGloin had two passes returned for touchdowns in the second half en route to a 24 point loss.

Sunday, November 14
8:20pm – Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5) vs. New England Patriots
What We Said: In their third marquee matchup in a row, the Steelers try to keep pace in both their division and the AFC. Both teams come in at 6-2, but a Sunday night game at Heinz Field is a difficult place to play for any team.

What Happened: Heinz Field may be a difficult place to play for most, but Tom Brady made it look easy during the Patriots' 13-point victory.

Playing The Odds: Pittsburgh Through Vegas' Eyes (Week Ending 11/14)

Playing The Odds is your weekly look at the Vegas betting lines for our Pittsburgh-area football teams. Playing The Odds is offered solely for entertainment purposes. SB Nation Pittsburgh does not promote gambling, unless Pitt and Penn State start playing yearly games again. Then all bets are on. All lines are accurate as of Tuesday morning of each week. Feel free to use the comments to tell us who you think will be victorious.

Thursday, November 11
7:30pm – Pitt Panthers (-6.5) @ Connecticut Huskies
Pitt continues to control its own destiny in the Big East, and a win over UConn will keep them at least two games ahead of any other challenger. The Panthers should take care of the Huskies, unless the Pitt team that showed up against a weak Notre Dame or overrated Miami team shows up to play. Greg Romeus is listed as probable.

Saturday, November 13
12:00pm – West Virginia Mountaineers (-6.5) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
West Virginia should snap a two game Bearcat winning streak in this game, but don’t be surprised if Cincinnati QB Zach Collaros, who missed last week’s game against Syracuse, returns with something to prove.

3:30pm – Penn State Nittany Lions (+17.5) @ Ohio State Buckeyes
The Nittany Lions are coming off three straight wins and are peaking at the right time in the season, but the Buckeyes will be tough to beat in Columbus, featuring a very tough defense. Like the last time these two met in Ohio, expect a close game.

Sunday, November 14
8:20pm – Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5) vs. New England Patriots
In their third marquee matchup in a row, the Steelers try to keep pace in both their division and the AFC. Both teams come in at 6-2, but a Sunday night game at Heinz Field is a difficult place to play for any team.

Playing The Odds: Pittsburgh Through Vegas' Eyes (Week Ending 11/7)

Playing The Odds is your weekly look at the Vegas betting lines for our Pittsburgh-area football teams. Playing The Odds is offered solely for entertainment purposes. SB Nation Pittsburgh does not promote gambling, unless Pitt and Penn State start playing yearly games again. Then all bets are on. All lines are accurate as of Thursday morning of each week. Feel free to use the comments to tell us who you think will be victorious.

We apologize for the absence last week, but as you probably already know, Penn State and Pitt covered their games, while West Virginia and the Steelers lost their games. Without further ado, this week's matchups:

Saturday, November 6
3:30pm – Penn State Nittany Lions (-6) vs. Northwestern Wildcats

Monday, November 8
9:00pm – Pittsburgh Steelers (-5) at Cincinnati Bengals

Avoiding the Odds
Pitt Panthers
Bye Week, destroyer of all momentum

West Virginia Mountaineers
Bye Week, destroyer of all reverse momentum

Panthers, Nittany Lions Cover; Steelers, Mountaineers Come Up Short; Early Lines Released

Three victories and one loss for the local teams this weekend were actually two wins and two losses when the spreads were factored in.

Pitt (-13) defeated Rutgers, 41-21.
Penn State (-9) defeated Minnesota, 33-21.
West Virginia (-14) lost to Syracuse, 19-14.
Steelers (-3) defeated the Dolphins, 23-22.

A look at the opening lines for the weekend ending 10/31:
West Virginia (-7) @ Connecticut
Pittsburgh (-11) vs. Louisville
Penn State (+1) vs. Michigan
Steelers (EVEN) @ Saints

Playing The Odds: Pittsburgh Through Vegas' Eyes (Week Ending 10/24)

Playing The Odds is your weekly look at the Vegas betting lines for our Pittsburgh-area football teams. Playing The Odds is offered solely for entertainment purposes. SB Nation Pittsburgh does not promote gambling, unless Pitt and Penn State start playing yearly games again. Then all bets are on. All lines are accurate as of Thursday morning of each week. Feel free to use the comments to tell us who you think will be victorious.

Saturday, October 23
12:00p - Penn State Nittany Lions (-9) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
12:00p - Pitt Panthers (-13) vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
12:00p - West Virginia Mountaineers (-14) vs. Syracuse Orangemen

Sunday, October 24
1:00p - Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) @ Miami Dolphins

Steelers, Panthers, Mountaineers Cover; Early Lines Released

All three local football teams that were in action this past weekend covered their spread.

West Virginia (-10.5) defeated South Florida, 20-6.
Pitt (+1) defeated Syracuse, 45-14.
Steelers (-13) defeated the Browns, 28-10.

An early look at the odds for the weekend of 10/23:
Penn State (-8.5) @ Minnesota
Pitt (-8) vs. Rutgers
West Virginia (-16) vs. Syracuse
Steelers (-3) @ Miami

Playing The Odds: Pittsburgh Through Vegas' Eyes

Playing The Odds is your weekly look at the Vegas betting lines for our Pittsburgh-area football teams. Playing The Odds is offered solely for entertainment purposes. SBN Pittsburgh does not promote gambling, unless Pitt and Penn State start playing yearly games again. Then all bets are on. All lines are accurate as of Thursday morning of each week. Feel free to use the comments to tell us who you think will be victorious.

Thursday, October 14
7:30p - West Virginia Mountaineers (-10.5) vs. South Florida Bulls

Saturday, October 16
12:00p - Pitt Panthers (+1) @ Syracuse Orangemen

Sunday, October 17
1:00p - Pittsburgh Steelers (-13) vs. Cleveland Browns

Avoiding The Odds
Penn State Nittany Lions
Bye Week. Sweet, merciful bye week.