2021 Peach Bowl Betting

Running since 1968, the Peach Bowl is one of the oldest college football bowl games. It’s part of the "New Year’s Six“ rotation, where six major bowls rotate each year to host two College Football Playoff (CFP) games. It last hosted a College Football Playoff game in 2019 and will do again in 2022.

The 2021 Chic-fil-A Peach Bowl will see the ACC champion Pittsburgh Panthers (11–2) face the Michigan State Spartans (10–2). It’ll take place on December 30, 2021 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia. The following preview covers more on this bowl along with what to expect from a sports betting perspective.

2021 Chic-fil-A Peach Bowl

2020 was not a banner year for Michigan State nor head coach Mel Tucker, who was in his first year with the team. MSU struggled through a COVID-affected year and finished 2–5. For the first time since 1940, MSU failed to have any players taken in the NFL Draft.

2021 has been much kinder to Tucker and the Spartans. The team finished the regular season at 10–2 and had a respectable 7–2 Big Ten mark. It raced out to a 6–0 start and had aspirations for the National Championship Game. Losses to Purdue and Ohio State upended these dreams, but MSU is still enjoying a good year.

Unfortunately for MSU, star running back Kenneth Walker III has already opted for the 2022 NFL Draft. He ranked second nationally in rushing with 1,636 yards and scored 18 rushing touchdowns. Michigan State now needs to find a way to replace his production. It’ll lean on quarterback Payton Thorne (2,886 YDs, 24 TDs) more than ever on Dec. 30th.

As a team, the Spartans average 31.9 points and 430.9 yards per game. Their 185.6 rushing yards per game are particularly impressive, although somewhat misleading with Walker gone. MSU holds opponents to a respectable 25.7 points per game, but its pass defense gives up a nation-worst 337.3 yards.

Quarterback Kenny Pickett headlines the Panthers. After throwing for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions, he’s among the final four Heisman candidates. His favourite target, WR Jordan Addison (1,479 YDs, 17 TDs), also deserves mention for an outstanding regular season.

Led by head coach Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh has experienced one of its finest football seasons. After suffering a stunning 44–41 loss to Western Michigan, the team has won nine of its last 10 games. It has racked up five straight wins, including a 45–21 victory over Wake Forest in the conference championship game. Pittsburgh is riding high on its first ACC championship since joining the conference nine years ago.

Moving to team stats, Pittsburgh ranks third nationally in points (43.0) and fifth in yards (504.3) per game. Led by Kenny Pickett, the team passes for 350.2 yards per contest. On defense, the Panthers only give up 23.1 points and 91.2 rushing yards.

The Michigan State vs Pittsburgh matchup is one of the most interesting during this bowl season. This thought is echoed by how betting sites only give a slight edge to the Spartans. Below, you can find out more on Peach Bowl odds along with which Canadian sportsbooks are offering the best value.

Peach Bowl Moneyline Odds

The moneyline refers to a straight-up bet that handicaps the favourite and underdog. The idea is to encourage sports bettors to wager on both sides of the line. Here’s a common 2021 Peach Bowl moneyline:

• Pittsburgh +115
• Michigan State -135

The Panthers are 5–0 straight up (SU) in their last five games. Meanwhile, Michigan State has gone 5–2 SU in its last seven contests.

If you’re interested in taking either MSU or Pitt on the moneyline, you should check out STS. It typically offers favourable college football moneylines.

Peach Bowl Point Spread Odds

A point spread handicaps each team with a certain number of points. The favourite gets points taken away while the underdog receives more points. The common Michigan State vs Pittsburgh spread odds are as follows:

• Pittsburgh +2.5 (-110)
• Michigan State -2.5 (-110)

This thin point spread keeps with the theme that Pitt-MSU figures to be one of this year’s closest bowl games. The Panthers have gone 8–2 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 games. The Spartans have gone 6–2 ATS in their last eight contests. Considering that both of these teams are doing well ATS, you might consider betting on either at BetVictor.

Peach Bowl Over/Under Odds

Betting on the over/under (totals) refers to wagering on if two teams will go over or under a point total. Sportsbooks can’t agree on an over/under for Pitt and MSU, with totals lines all over the place. Here’s the one line that we’ve seen repeated:

Michigan State Spartans vs. Pitt Panthers

• Over 56 (-110)
• Under 56 (-110)

The over has won out in four of Michigan State’s last five games. The same is true for Pittsburgh in 14 of its lats 20 contests, dating back to last season. You can wager on the over/under covered above at William Hill and STS.

Peach Bowl Prop Bets

Like with any major college football game, this bowl is the source of many prop bets. As you may know, prop wagers refer to bets that have nothing to do with the final score. The following prop bets are available at some sportsbooks:

• First half winning margin
• Race to 10 points
• Race to 20 points
• Race to 30 points
• Will a defensive or special teams TD be scored
• Both teams to score 20+ points

Now part of the New Year’s Six, the Peach Bowl hosts elite matchups. Even when it’s not a CFP game, it always manages to provide interesting contests. You can see results from the 10 most-recent Peach Bowls below:

Year Winner (Score) Loser (Score)2020 Georgia 24 Cincinnati 212019 LSU 63 Oklahoma 282018 Florida 41 Michigan 152017 Central Florida 34 Auburn 272016 Alabama 24 Washington 72015 Houston 38 Florida State 242014 TCU 42 Mississippi 32013 Texas A&M 52 Duke 482012 Clemson 25 LSU 242011 Auburn 43 Virginia 24

LSU has fared better than any other school in the Peach Bowl with six victories. As shown below, other schools have also had plenty of success in this game too:

Team	Peach Bowl Wins	Years Won
LSU	6	1958, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2019
Auburn	4	1990, 1998, 2007, 2011
Georgia	4	1973, 1998, 2006, 2021
NC State	4	1972, 1977, 1988, 1995
Clemson	3	1993, 2004, 2012
West Virginia	3	1969, 1975, 1981

This matchup no doubt presents some interesting betting opportunities, so make sure to check out some of the best betting site in Canada and shop around for the best odds. You can view some of our favourite Pitt-Michigan State bets below.

Pittsburgh -2.5

The Panthers outscored opponents by nearly 20 points during the regular season. And while they face a tough opponent in Michigan State, they’re a solid bet to cover -2.5.

Over 56 Points

Both the Spartans and Panthers have combined to hold opponents to 48.8 points per game. However, they’ve also combined to score a lofty 74.9 points. When considering Michigan State’s atrocious pass defense, we like these schools to hit the over.

Both Teams to Score 20+ Points

The Spartans could struggle offensively with Walker opting out of this bowl for the NFL Draft. However, it still has a quality passing game and averages 31.9 points. As for Pittsburgh, it shouldn’t have any trouble putting up 20+ points thanks to Pickett’s arm.

Pittsburgh +120

The Panthers aren’t offering much value as an underdog. Even still, we see this matchup as very even. Pittsburgh might even be a favourite after winning the ACC and bringing their full team to the table. Michigan State can’t say the same, with Kenneth Walker III now preparing for the draft.