Sep 26, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos (1) runs with the ball against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

FSU football opens as surprising favorite in matchup with Pittsburgh Panthers

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Florida State continues ACC play when the Pittsburgh Panthers travel to Tallahassee on Saturday, October 11. The Seminoles are off to a 0-2 start in the conference but have a chance to get back on track this weekend.

The contest will mark the fifth game in Doak Campbell Stadium for Florida State in 2025. The Seminoles are 3-1 at home so far this fall.

The Panthers are off to a 3-2 start and picked up their first ACC victory with a 48-7 pounding of Boston College on Saturday. The Eagles didn't score until the fourth quarter.

Pittsburgh made a quarterback change ahead of the game, benching redshirt sophomore Eli Holstein for true freshman Mason Heintschel. The new starter provided a big spark, completing 30/41 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns to zero interceptions.

The Panthers bring in the No. 12 scoring offense (41 points per game) and the No. 15 passing offense (307 passing yards per game).

Despite a two-game losing streak, Florida State is still favored by a wide margin against the Panthers.

FSU Favored Going Into Pittsburgh Matchup

According to FanDuel, Florida State is projected to bounce back on Saturday afternoon. The Seminoles opened as a 9.5-point favorite on the sportsbook with the Over/Under set at 58.5 points. FSU is a -320 favorite on the MoneyLine compared to Pittsburgh's +255.

The Seminoles are 3-2 against the spread this season. Florida State failed to cover in the losses to Virginia and Miami.

FSU's hopes rely on quarterback Tommy Castellanos getting back into a rhythm. The veteran signal-caller has thrown five interceptions in his last three starts.

On the season, Castellanos has completed 70/115 passes for 1,120 yards with six touchdowns to five interceptions while rushing 57 times for 274 yards and four more scores.

Florida State and Pittsburgh will kick off at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 11. The contest will be televised on ESPN.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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