The Duquesne Dukes take on the Pittsburgh Panthers in Pittsburgh, PA. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
Pittsburgh is favored by 37.5 points on the spread. The total is set at 55.5 points.
Here’s my Duquesne vs. Pitt predictions and college football picks for Saturday, August 30, 2025.
Duquesne vs Pitt Prediction
- Duquesne vs. Pitt Pick: Pitt Team Total Over (49 or Less)
My Pitt vs. Duquesne best bet is on the Pitt team total over. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Duquesne vs Pitt Odds
| Duquesne Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+39.5 -115 | 55.5 -110o / -110u | N/A |
| Pitt Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-39.5 -105 | 55.5 -110o / -110u | N/A |
- Duquesne vs Pitt point spread: Pitt -39.5
- Duquesne vs Pitt over/under: 55.5 points
Duquesne vs Pitt Preview
Duquesne Dukes Betting Preview: Set for QB Showdown
Duquesne comes into this one off a successful 8-3 season in which it looked to be the front-runner to claim the NEC title at the season’s end.
The Dukes' only two losses leading up to the season finale were against Toledo and Boston College. Still, Duquesne was upset by Central Connecticut State and missed out on the NEC crown and the FCS playoff birth that accompanied it.
This season, the Dukes will be breaking in a new quarterback, as Darius Perrantes departs. The battle will be decided in fall camp between Xavier Rice and Tyler Riddell, who transferred in this spring from Gardner-Webb.
There are some contributing departures in the skill-position rooms, but the Duquesne offensive line has some continuity and should hold up well in league play.
The Dukes want to run the football and establish their physical, tough-nosed nature, something they'll be able to do in NEC play but likely won't be able to do in the opener against Pitt.
Defensively, the Dukes did well last year, getting to the quarterback and creating pressure and negative plays, along with surrendering just 3.3 yards per carry on the ground last year in league play.
The defensive line returns experienced players in Kevin Kurzinger, A.J. Ackerman and Jack Dunkley. These three combined for 12 sacks and 65 tackles and should be formidable at the FCS level.
The linebacker group and secondary don't grade out exceptionally strong, and this will likely be evident in Week 1, as key departures will result in youth and inexperience lining up against the Panthers.
Pitt Panthers Betting Preview: Avoiding Injuries Key for Pitt
Pitt really dazzled offensively early in the 2024 campaign, as Pat Narduzzi rolled out his modernized offense orchestrated by Kade Bell.
The tempo was elevated, the passing was crisp and effective, and Pitt averaged 49 points per game in the non-conference slate.
Injuries really handicapped the quarterback position last year, as four players ended up throwing passes for the Panthers. But when healthy, Eli Holstein was a major weapon behind center.
There's a ton of speed in the skill position groups, and portal additions from Charlotte, NC State and Michigan have bolstered the offensive line.
Avoiding injury on the line will be key, but that's something Pitt hasn’t been able to do over the last three seasons. This offense, when healthy, can hum with the best of them.
Defensively, Pitt is loaded in the front seven. The defensive line returns Jimmy Scott and Sean FitzSimmons, and adds some transfer pieces for depth.
The linebacker group is scary good. Kyle Louis, Rasheem Biles and Braylan Lovelace are all top-notch athletes who stay in position and can make all the plays at linebacker. “The Sharks,” as they’re called, might be the best linebacker group in the ACC.
With the tenacity and havoc created by the front seven — as we expect — this secondary should check out okay despite being inexperienced and transfer-heavy.
This defense will be a fun bunch this year.
Duquesne vs Pitt Pick, Betting Analysis
I'm going to play the Pitt team total over 46.
I would expect Pittsburgh to have its high-octane offense running well, as the Panthers threw 50 passes last year against Kent State in the opener.
I don’t think the Dukes will have much resistance to what Pitt wants to do offensively. Once Pitt extends the margin and pulls the starting platoon, we'll still see it run its stuff.
Backup quarterback Cole Gonzalez transferred in from Western Carolina and played under Bell. I would expect Bell to get his guy plenty of passing opportunities to sling it around until the end.
I can't imagine this Duquesne offensive group can run the ball effectively in any way. Pitt held Kent State and Youngstown State to 1.5 yards per carry combined, and this Panthers defense is going to be licking their chops on third and long.
This could be a quick offensive series and short fields for Pitt, which would compound the issue. I would expect the Dukes to play hard, but I don't think they'll play very well.
We have a little added motivation here for Pittsburgh to allow for its offense to throw the ball into the late stages of the second half.
When lining up against an NEC defense, I just don’t see any way Duquesne secures stops. The NEC is a bad FCS league, and even the best team in the league (projected) will look foolish here.
Pick: Pitt Team Total Over (49 or Less)
