College Football Picks and Odds December 10th – FAU vs Southern Miss and Pittsburgh vs Georgia Tech

• A pair of games on Thursday, December 10, 2020 get Week 15 of College Football underway, with Florida Atlantic vs Southern Mississippi and Pittsburgh vs Georgia Tech
• Both games have single-digit spreads, which could make for some tight games that deserve a closer analytical look
• Find odds for the games and key information about both matchups in the article below

The college football regular season is nearing its end, which is weird to think considering we almost didn’t get a season at all. For the last time in 2020 — barring any schedule changes, which we all know are possible — fans and bettors alike are being treated to a Thursday night college football twin-bill.

Florida Atlantic heads to Southern Mississippi (6:30 PM EST), while Georgia Tech plays host to Pittsburgh (7 PM EST). We’ll take it one matchup at a time, featuring odds and analysis in the story below.

Florida Atlantic vs Southern Mississippi Week 15 Odds

All odds taken Dec. 8 at FanDuel

You might want to guzzle an energy drink or something before watching this one, because there might not be a lot of offense in store. The 41.5-point over/under mark stands out here, but the point total was set that low for a reason.

Florida Atlantic has featured one of the most suffocating defenses in NCAA Division I this season, holding opponents to 299.6 yards/game (sixth in D-I) and 12.4 points/game (third in D-I). Southern Mississippi’s offense ranks 98th in both total yards per game (356.2) and points per game (23.1). Advantage, Owls.

We're just ready to play ball. pic.twitter.com/lEBBplvJ1g

— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) December 5, 2020

It’s clear that low-scoring affairs favor Florida Atlantic, who is 5-2 and seen five of its games feature fewer than 40 total points. It’s also worth noting that the under has hit in five of the past six games in which the Owls were the favorites, as they are Thursday.

Of course, while low scoring might help lead to a Florida Atlantic win, it might not lead to a win against the spread. The Owls are only 3-4 ATS, having dropped three of their past four.

The Golden Eagles haven’t been great straight up (2-7) or ATS (3-6), but their recent results showed some promise. They lost their past two games but covered in both instances. Southern Mississippi has also seen the under hit quite easily in four consecutive games, which is a knock on their offense as much as anything.

So, we feel really good about taking the under in this one, as low as it is. As for the spread, recent trends have us interested in Southern Mississippi’s ability to keep things close.

Pick: Southern Mississippi +8.5 (-112); Under 41.5 (-108)

Pittsburgh vs Georgia Tech Week 15 Odds

The theme of this game might be Kenny Pickett versus the Yellow Jacket defense. Pickett, Pittsburgh’s senior quarterback, has led the Panthers to 266.1 passing yards/game (35th in D-I). The Panthers are 6.5-point favorites against the Yellow Jackets on Thursday night.

Pickett doesn’t have the flashiest numbers (12 touchdowns versus eight interceptions) but, he spreads the ball out (five receivers have at least 15 catches and 250 yards) and has added seven rushing touchdowns, too. Given that Georgia Tech ranks 114th in pass defense (278.3 yards/game allowed), that could be problematic.

No Pitt game today, but Pat Bostick and Rob King get you ready for Thursday night's contest at Georgia Tech.

🎥 via Pitt: Beyond the Script#H2P • @ATTSportsNetPIT pic.twitter.com/vyevRNiWX9

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) December 5, 2020

Pittsburgh has had the upper hand in this matchup recently, winning in both 2018 and 2019 — and covering both times, as well. Last year, they squeaked out an ATS win by covering a 9.5-point spread with a 20-10 victory. The year before, the Panthers were 3-point underdogs but won outright, 24-19.

A feather in Georgia Tech’s cap is the fact they’ve covered in three of their past four games as home underdogs. But the specific mismatch of their pass defense compared to Pittsburgh’s passing offense suggests that Thursday’s game could turn sour for the Yellow Jackets.

Pick: Pittsburgh -6.5 (-114)