Sportsinator

The marquee game tonight is Syracuse Orange at Pittsburgh Panthers, with the unbeaten Panthers favored by ten and a half at home as they try to push to 3-0 against a Syracuse team that couldn't quite hold serve last week. Keep an eye on Pittsburgh's ability to control time of possession and stay ahead of the sticks, since if this one turns into third-and-long for Syracuse all night, the Panthers should cover easily and lean on the run to milk the clock in the red zone.

It's not the flashiest slate, but that spread and the smashmouth trench battle at Acrisure Stadium make it the one worth watching before Friday's bigger matchups take over.

NCAA Football · 17 Sept · The week ahead

The marquee game is Thursday Night Football, with the Detroit Lions traveling to Highmark Stadium to face the Buffalo Bills, both undefeated at 1-0 and looking to open Prime Video week with a statement win. Buffalo is favored by five and a half at home with the over-under sitting near fifty-five, so expect both offenses to move the ball rather than a smashmouth, clock-eating slog.

Watch how Buffalo protects the line of scrimmage against Detroit's front and whether Detroit can finish drives in the red zone instead of settling for field goals, since that's usually the difference between covering easily and a backdoor cover in garbage time.

NFL · 17 Sept · The week ahead