The Pittsburgh Panthers and Ole Miss Rebels are set to interrupt the BCS parade this afternoon when they square off in the 2013 BBVA Compass Bowl. The postseason clash between the two schools, which will take place at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, has a scheduled start time of 1:00pm ET (ESPN). BBVA Compass Bowl Odds are favoring the Rebels at -3.5 against the spread; the game total is set at 54 points. Pittsburgh is drawing +145 moneyline odds to win its third straight game.

Pittsburgh got off to a slow start under first year head coach Paul Chryst, losing four of its first six games; however, their were some signs of life in the team’s lackluster opening.

The Panthers stomped Virginia Tech 35-17 and they played two good conference teams in Syracuse and Louisville close. Those performances laid the foundation for a strong second half as Pitt went 4-2 down the stretch to finish 6-6 overall and earn a third consecutive Compass Bowl appearance (beat Kentucky 27-10 in 2010 game and lost 28-6 to SMU in last year’s contest).

Ole Miss closed out its regular season slate with the same 6-6 record, and it too did so under the guidance of a new coach in Hugh Freeze. The turnaround was more than welcome in Oxford as the Rebels tallied just six wins in the final two years of Houston Nutt’s four year tenure.

Mississippi proved it still has a ways to go to get on equal footing with some of the SEC’s bigger name programs (fell to Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, and LSU by an average of 13.8 points per game); however, the Rebels did earn three conference wins, including a critical season finale showdown with in-state rival Mississippi State (41-24).

Free Pick: Take Pittsburgh +3.5. The Panthers, who have covered the spread in eight of their last 10 games, are an undervalued commodity due mostly to the conference they play in. Perception belies reality in Pitt’s case, though, as it has enough skill both offensively and defensively to upset the Rebels.

2013 BBVA Compass Bowl Odds:

Pittsburgh Panthers +3.5 (-110), Over 54 (-110), +145 (Moneyline)

Ole Miss Rebels -3.5 (-110), Under 54 (-110), -165 (Moneyline)

College Football Free Picks: Pittsburgh vs Mississippi Betting
What college football bettors need to know about Pittsburgh Panthers at Mississippi Rebels on Saturday (1/05/13) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Scott Spreitzer, with Marco D'Angelo and Bryan Leonard.

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