It's always fun when rivalry games that were impacted by conference realignment make a return.
The Backyard Brawl is no different. Two former Big East foes square off in Pittsburgh in a matchup where the spread currently sits inside a field goal.
My full West Virginia vs Pitt prediction is below.
West Virginia vs Pitt Prediction
- My Backyard Brawl Pick: West Virginia -1.5
My Pitt-West Virginia best bet for the Backyard Brawl is on the Mountaineers spread with the best line currently available at Caesars, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
West Virginia vs Pitt Odds, Line, Spread
| West Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -105 | 62 -110 / -110 | -122 |
| Pitt Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -115 | 62 -110 / -110 | +102 |
- Point Spread: West Virginia -2.5 · Pittsburgh +2.5
- Total: Over/Under 62
- Moneyline: West Virginia ML -122 · Pittsburgh ML +102
How to Watch West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh
| Location: | Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 14 |
| Kickoff Time: | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN |
West Virginia Football vs Pitt Football Preview
West Virginia Mountaineers Preview: Can Offense Keep Rolling?
West Virginia entered the season with pretty big expectations after a nine-win campaign in 2023.
However, the opener didn't go according to plan, with Penn State winning at the line of scrimmage and a rain delay taking away any real crowd support in the second half. The Nittany Lions cruised to a comfortable victory in Morgantown.
Saturday offers the Mountaineers a chance to get back on track and enter Big 12 play with a little bit of momentum on their side.
Last week against Albany, the WVU offense went for over 550 yards with a nice balance between the run and the pass. Garrett Greene tossed three touchdowns and also ran for one, and will likely need to use his legs again this week against a blitz heavy Pat Narduzzi defense.
CJ Donaldson Jr. is one of the more experienced running backs in America and should have some holes to run through against a mediocre front seven.
On the other side of the ball, the area for concern for West Virginia is the secondary. The Mountaineers are strong against the run and should be able to win in the trenches more times than not against the Pitt offensive line.
Fortunately for West Virginia, I don't know if Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein will be able to take advantage of West Virginia's weakness. He made a few plays last week against Cincinnati, but also missed a bunch of throws and doesn't have a very live arm.
Neal Brown's defense needs to tackle in space and take away the big play. If they can do that, I think they can get enough stops in this game.
Pitt Panthers Preview: Rushing Attack Will Be Key
It's no secret that Narduzzi entered this season with one of the hottest seats in the country.
Last week's miraculous second-half comeback over the Bearcats from down 27-6 has saved his job, at least for now.
It was impressive to see the Panthers rattle off 22 unanswered points and completely flip the momentum in that game on the road.
If Pitt wants to build off of that victory and improve to 3-0, it must get off to a faster start and do a better job on defense.
A mediocre Cincy offense went for 449 yards and got whatever it wanted for the first three quarters of the game.
Narduzzi finally made some adjustments, but Greene and the WVU offense are a different animal.
When Pitt has the ball, look for it to feed Western Carolina transfer running back Desmond Reid, who has been really explosive to start the year and is averaging a ridiculous 8.9 yards per carry on 33 attempts.
The Mountaineers' front seven will be a step up in weight class, but if Reid can hit a few explosive rushes, that'll take a lot of the pressure off Holstein.
If the Panthers want to win this game, they must take care of the ball and score touchdowns when they enter the red zone.
How to Bet My West Virginia vs. Pitt Pick
Pitt was fortunate to escape last week against Cincinnati, but I think the Panthers will suffer their first loss this week.
The Mountaineers dominated this matchup on the ground a year ago, and I believe they have the formula to replicate that success.
Greene will be the best player on the field and has found a way to win in plenty of hostile road environments before. West Virginia is still irritated after a disappointing opener to Penn State and I think it'll come out very fired up for this one.
I'm taking the Mountaineers to win and cover in a fun rivalry matchup. Country Roads take us home.
Pick: West Virginia -1.5 (Play to -2.5)
College Football Betting Trends for WVU-Pitt
- 78% of the bets are on West Virginia ATS while 79% of the money is on the same side.
- 68% of the bets are on the under while 79% of the money is on the over.
- 78% of the bets are on West Virginia ML while 70% of the money is on the same side.
Pittsburgh vs. WVU Weather
