Aug 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi (middle) leads the team onto the field to play the Duquesne Dukes at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pitt Opens as Heavy Favorites vs. Central Michigan

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Karl Ludwig | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Pitt Panthers were a heavy, heavy favorite in their season opener against Duquesne, and despite the spread, the Panthers covered. They'll look to do the same, albeit with a slightly smaller spread, in Week 2.

Circa Sports has set the Panthers as a 21-point favorite in their Week 2 matchup against the Central Michigan Chippewas. The total points spread has been set at 55 points.

It's the first ever matchup between Pitt and Central Michigan in either team's history.

"They’re a tough football team," Pat Narduzzi said Monday. "They are blue-collar. Played them in the past, Northern Illinois. Actually, at Michigan State we played Central. We actually traveled up to their place one year. They had music blaring, more speakers and fake music than I’ve ever seen in my life. Loudest place I’ve ever seen for not being that big a place."

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Week 3 Opening Lines

Opening App Limits: $3k Sides, $1k Totals pic.twitter.com/AIDjZb73um
— Circa Sports (@CircaSports) August 31, 2025

DraftKings has opened with Pitt as a 21.5-point favorite, with a bet to cover holding -110 odds. Pitt has -2100 odds to win outright, and the total point spread has been set at 51.5 points.

FanDuel also has set Pitt as a 21.5-point favorite. The Panthers have -2300 odds to win outright, and the total point spread has been set at 51.5.

Central Michigan head coach Matt Drinkall is in his first season with the Chippewas following a lengthy tenure as an assistant at Army.

Central Michigan escaped with a 16-14 win against San Jose State on Friday night, with kicker Cade Graham nailing a go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter.

The Chippewas utilize a sort of option offense, making use of three different quarterbacks, and Narduzzi expects a difficult challenge.

"They’re going to play with three quarterbacks," Narduzzi said Monday at his weekly presser. "If you’re out there watching, you’re not going to say, 'What happened with the quarterback? Did he get hurt?' They play with three. They played with three at Eastern Washington all the time.

"They have packages for all three offensively. They do a bunch of different stuff. They like to line up and pound you, okay? That’s what they want to do. About a 70% run football team. They’re going to line up in a lot of two tight ends, three tight ends, a little bit of the one tight end stuff that is college football nowadays."

Pitt and Central Michigan are scheduled to kick off at 12 p.m. on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. The matchup will also be broadcast on ESPNU.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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