The 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl features an ACC versus MAC match-up as Pittsburgh faces a red hot Bowling Green squad. The Panthers and Falcons are scheduled to kickoff at 6:00pm ET on Thursday, December 26th at Ford Field; their meeting will be broadcast live on ESPN. Updated Bowl Odds from 5Dimes have Bowling Green listed as a -4 against the spread favorite and the Over/Under set at 49.5 points.

Bowling Green opened the season as one of the favorites to win the MAC's East Division, but Northern Illinois was the top choice to win the conference. The Huskies spent the entire regular season validating their selection as conference favorite while the Falcons made those who tabbed them as the East's top team look smart.

What that eventually resulted in was the two teams meeting in the MAC Championship Game at Ford Field on December 6th. The Falcons were not content with a division title, though, and they proved as much by pounding the undefeated Huskies 47-27 to win the league championship.

The victory brought Bowling Green's record to 10-3, giving the school its first double digit win season since 2003. Unfortunately for the Falcons their success came at a price. Head Coach Dave Clawson took the job at Wake Forest shortly after Bowling Green's win over the Huskies, leaving bowl coaching duties in the hands of special teams coach Adam Scheier.

Pittsburgh's season did not go as well, but the Panthers earned a bowl berth nonetheless. Pitt finished the year, its first as a member of the ACC, with a 6-6 record, but there were not a lot of high moments for the team following its surprising 3-1 start.

The Panthers were 3-5 in their next eight games, producing wins over Old Dominion, Notre Dame, and Syracuse while suffering losses to Virginia Tech, Navy, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Miami.

Pitt's two signature moments were a 55-58 road win against Duke on September 21st and a 28-21 victory over the Fighting Irish at Heinz Field.

Notable Trends: Bowling Green is 7-0 both straight up and against the spread in its last seven games as a favorite with a spread between 4 and 7.5 points.

Pittsburgh vs Bowling Green 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Odds:

Pittsburgh Panthers +4 (-110), Over 49.5 (-110), +175 (Moneyline)

Bowling Green Falcons -4 (-110), Under 49.5 (-110), -210 (Moneyline)

Handicapping Tips: College Bowl Games
Marco D'Angelo, Bryan Leonard and Ken Thomson give their tips for handicapping bowl games.

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