The Pittsburgh Panthers are faced with a tall order for the 2022 college football season. They need to replace quarterback Kenny Pickett, a Heisman finalist, who was drafted by the Steelers. Pitt lost the top receiver and Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison when he transferred to USC. However, the Panthers did get help from the transfer portal when USC quarterback Kedon Slovis chose Pitt.
The Pittsburgh Panthers finished 11-3 in 2021 and won the ACC. The high-powered offense scored 41.4 points per game and averaged 486.6 ypg, both school records. Head coach Pat Narduzzi will look to recapture some of that firepower while facing a schedule that does not include Clemson, NC State or Wake Forest.
Pennsylvania sportsbooks have released odds for the 2022 college football season. PA sports bettors can wager on Pittsburgh Panthers football right now.
The 2022 college football season starts on August 27.
Pitt Panthers National Championship odds
With the departure of Pickett, oddsmakers are predicting Pittsburgh to take a major step back this season. However, sportsbooks are not in agreement on the degree of regression.
- FanDuel PA sportsbook has Pittsburgh at +30000 to win the National Championship, tied for the 46th-best odds.
- BetMGM PA sportsbook lists Pittsburgh at +15000 with nine other teams, which is tied for 29th-best odds.
- DraftKings PA sportsbook has the shortest odds for Pittsburgh, listing them at +12000, which is tied for the 22nd-best odds with Arkansas, Michigan State, North Carolina State and Kentucky.
Most PA sports betting apps have Alabama and Ohio State as the favorites to win the National Championship while BetMGM has Alabama and Georgia as title favorites.
ACC conference futures
Pittsburgh went 7-1 in the ACC and dismantled Wake Forest 45-21 in Charlotte to win the conference championship.
2022 ACC football championship odds
Pitt Panthers quarterback breakdown
Pittsburgh only had two players drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft and had 17 players transfer out of the program, with nine transferring in.
The biggest loss, as mentioned, will be quarterback Kenny Pickett. A Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback can carry a college football team.
The Panthers have five quarterbacks on the roster. Redshirt senior Nick Patti, redshirt freshman Nate Yarnell, redshirt freshman Jake Frantl and redshirt junior Eli Kosanovich are the four returning quarterbacks. Kedon Slovis, a transfer from USC, is the new face in the quarterback room.
Slovis is the most experienced of the bunch. He made 26 starts for USC since 2019. He’s completed 68% of his passes, has thrown for 7,576 career yards and has thrown 58 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
Slovis appears to have the talent but has regressed in each of his three seasons at USC. Here are his numbers:
- Freshman: 72% completion / 30 TDs / 8 INTs / 3,502 yards (12 games)
- Sophomore: 67% completion / 17 TDs / 7 INTs / 1,921 yards (6 games)
- Junior: 65% completion / 11 TDs / 8 INTs / 2,153 yards (9 games)
Patti backed up Pickett for three seasons and has thrown 67 career passes. Patti completed 2-of-5 passes for 21 yards and rushed for 27 yards before getting knocked out with an injury in the Peach Bowl last season.
Slovis and Patti are expected to battle for the starting quarterback job.
Kedon Slovis Heisman Trophy odds
Could Slovis follow Pickett’s footsteps as Heisman finalist?
Slovis, who’s expected to win the job, finished with first team Freshman All America honors from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and was the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.
There’s a big discrepancy between sportsbooks’ placement of Slovis for Heisman odds.
BetMGM PA sportsbook has the shortest odds for Slovis to win, at +2500 which is tied for eighth-best with Georgia quarterback JT Daniels, USC quarterback Jaxson Dart and Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.
DraftKings PA sportsbook is not far behind, listing Slovis at +4000 which is tied for 10th-best with Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler and Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson.
FanDuel PA sportsbook has the least amount of faith in Slovis. They have him listed at +10000 which is tied for 26th-best with a number of players.
Slovis is projected as a late first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Any conversation of Heisman talk throughout the season should shoot him up draft boards.
Pitt Panthers regular season betting lines
Some betting lines for the 2022 season are now available at PA sports betting apps. More odds will be added when they become available.
- Week 1, Sept. 1: West Virginia at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
- Week 2, Sept. 10: Tennessee at Pittsburgh, 3:30 p.m.
- Week 3, Sept. 17: Pittsburgh at Western Michigan, 7:30 p.m.
- Week 4, Sept. 24: Rhode Island at Pittsburgh, TBA
- Week 5, Oct. 1: Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh, TBA
- Week 6, Oct. 8: Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh, TBA
- Week 8, Oct. 22: Pittsburgh at Louisville, TBA
- Week 9, Oct. 29: Pittsburgh at North Carolina, TBA
- Week 10, Nov. 5: Syracuse at Pittsburgh, TBA
- Week 11, Nov. 12: Pittsburgh at Virginia, TBA
- Week 12, Nov. 19: Duke at Pittsburgh, TBA
- Week 13, Nov. 26: Pittsburgh at Miami-Florida, TBA
ACC Coastal Division win totals
DraftKings PA sportsbook released win totals for the 2022 season.
ACC Coastal Division win totals:
- Pittsburgh: Over 8.5 (-120) / Under 8.5 (+100)
- Miami: Over 8.5 (-100) / Under 8.5 (-120)
- Virginia: Over 7.5 (+125) / Under 7.5 (-145)
- Virginia Tech: Over 6.5 (+125) / Under 7.5 (-145)
- North Carolina: Over 7.5 (+115) / Under 7.5 (-135)
- Georgia Tech: Over 3.5 (-125) / Under 3.5 (+105)
- Duke: Over 3 (+100) / Under 3 (-120)
Lead image Philip G. Pavely/AP
