College football fans welcome back for week 9! If you were lucky enough to read my last college football article, we cashed 3 of 4 tickets and had a beautiful weekend! I put together a 2-leg parlay I love for the Syracuse vs Pittsburgh matchup so let's get right to it!
Reid Is Pitt's Cowbell
When Pittsburgh needs a touchdown this year, they look to Desmond Reid. A running back with only 3 touchdowns may be shocking, but this team likes to move the ball through the air, finding 17 passing touchdowns to just 11 rushing. What makes Desmond Reid so special is his pass catching abilities.
Reid, as the lead running back, is not only tied for the team lead in rushing touchdowns, but he also leads Pittsburgh in receiving touchdowns. When Pittsburgh has trouble establishing the run, they have no problem switching to the passing attack and finding Reid. Reid surprisingly is second on the team in both receptions and yards, while also sitting 2nd in yards per reception.
Reid is a dynamic weapon for Pittsburgh as shown above. With averages of 13.6 yards per reception and 6.3 yards per rush, he is live to take one to the house no matter the type of touch he gets. This game total has run up from the mid-50s to 62 as sharp money seems to think we will see some points in this game and so do I!
Allen Can Rush & Receive as Well!
LeQuint Allen, just like Reid, is a dynamic back who can rush and receive out of the backfield. Allen leads the team in rushing but is also 4th on the team in receptions and receiving yards. Allen is the focal point of the rushing attack, but McCord loves to find him in open space for quick passes as well!
Syracuse loves to air out the ball behind McCord, Meeks, Pena, and Gadsden II, but don’t you think for a second Allen won’t get his fair share tonight in a game where both teams should see a lot of possessions? Both teams sit top 40 in pace of play which means both teams should get the ball plenty of times and I believe both will find success passing against each other.
While we do have a play on Reid & Allen to both score in a parlay, the safer play I am looking at is to pair Reid's anytime touchdown with Allen to find 25+ receiving yards. If Syracuse and Allen do not have success running the ball they will turn to the pass, which is their primary bread and butter anyway! Allen has 25+ receiving yards in 5 straight games and 5 of his last 6, where his only miss was the 1st week, and he ended on 24! Lock this in!
My Best Bet:
2-Leg (-115) FanDuel (Boosted)
Desmond Reid (Pitt) Anytime TD
LeQuint Allen (Syr) 25+ Rec Yds