Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia Odds: 2022 School Soccer Picks, Yard Brawl Predictions Utilizing Confirmed Mannequin

The No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers have reloaded on offense this offseason and hope to show another high-flying attack Thursday when they open the regular season against the West Virginia Mountaineers. The game is the 105th iteration of the Backyard Brawl, last played in 2011. The Panthers are competing as a ranked team for the first time since 2010. Pittsburgh is 86-44-2 (.659) all-time in openers, including 16-6 (.727) since 2000.

Kick-off from Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh is at 7:00 p.m. ET. Pittsburgh was one of the top passing offenses in 2021, ranking eighth in passing yards per game with 337.4, while the Mountaineers ranked 56th in the nation with 247.9. The Panthers are eight-point favorites in the latest West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh odds from Caesars Sportsbook while the over-under for the total score is 51. Before you hit Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia picks or college football predictions for Week 1, you need to see what SportsLine’s advanced computer model has to say.

The SportsLine projection model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. For the last 6+ years, the proprietary computer model has generated a staggering nearly $3,600 in profits for $100 players using its top-flight college football picks against the spread. It goes into Week 1 of the 2022 college football season with a 45-32 run on all the top-flight college football spreads and money-line picks going back to 2021. Anyone who has followed it has seen tremendous returns.

Now the model has set his sights on Pitt vs. WVU, laying down his picks and CFB predictions for the 2022 Backyard Brawl. You can now go to SportsLine to see the model’s tips. Here are some college football odds and betting lines for WVU vs. Pitt:

• Spread between West Virginia and Pittsburgh: Pitt -8
• West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh over/under: 51 points
• Money line between West Virginia and Pittsburgh: WVU +250, Pitt -320
• WVU: The Mountaineers played 10-3 against the spread in their last few games on Sept. 13
• PITT: The Panthers are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 nonconference games
• West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Picks: See picks at SportsLine

Featured Game | Pittsburgh Panthers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers

Why Pittsburgh can cover

The Panthers have bolstered their offense with the influx of a number of transfers, including senior quarterback Kedon Slovis from USC and second wide receiver Konata Mumpfield from Akron. Slovis has two more years of eligibility after playing 27 games for the Trojans, including 26 starts. At USC, he completed 68% of his passes for 7,576 yards with 58 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He was the 2020 first-team All-Pac-12 selection and the 2019 Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year.

Mumpfield was a 2021 Freshman All-American and second-team All-MAC selection. He started all 12 games for the Zips last season and led Akron in 63 receptions, 751 yards and eight touchdowns. He has three career 100-yard receptions. In a game against Western Michigan, Mumpfield had 11 receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He also had six receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns against Bowling Green.

Why West Virginia can cover

Sophomore running back Tony Mathis Jr. returns and bolsters the Mountaineers’ fast attack. Mathis was the team’s second-best rusher last season, carrying 72 times for 312 yards (4.3 average), including a long 45-yard run. His best game was a 34-28 win in Kansas on November 27, when he carried 22 times for 118 yards (5.4 average). He had a solid performance in West Virginia’s 18-6 bowl loss to Minnesota as he carried 13 times for 56 yards and caught five passes for 24 yards.

The wide receiver corps also brings back a number of key contributors, including redshirt junior Bryce Ford-Wheaton, the team’s second-best receiver of 2021. Ford-Wheaton caught 42 passes for 575 yards (13.7 average) and three touchdowns. He was a big reason the Mountaineers beat No. 22 Iowa State last season, catching six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns at the Oct. 30 meetup. In three seasons in West Virginia, he has 81 receptions for 1,192 yards (14.7 average) and eight TDs.

How to make West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh picks

SportsLine’s model takes total points and projects teams to 49 points. The model also says that one side of the variance is true in well over 50% of the simulations. You can only see the model selection at SportsLine.

So, who will win WVU against Pitt? And which side of the spread applies in well over 50% of the simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread to jump on, all from the model who crushed his college football picks.