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.