Pittsburgh vs West Virginia Betting Odds - Panthers to outlast Mountaineers in Backyard Brawl

The Pittsburgh vs West Virginia betting odds may surprise some people to see the Panthers – a Top 10 team in the nation – as a slight one-point favorite over the Mountaineers, who aren’t even in the Top 25. Online betting cappers should expect a very tight contest here, but the Panthers are the superior squad and should prevail.

Pittsburgh vs West Virginia betting odds: Pittsburgh -1

WHAT: NCAA football betting

WHEN: Friday, November 27th – 7:00 PM ET

WHERE: Mountaineer Field – Morgantown, WV

PICK: Pittsburgh -1

Pittsburgh vs West Virginia betting odds maker breakdown: What’s On The Line
The Panthers (9-1, 5-0) have been a surprise this season, but with two more wins they’ll be BCS-bound. The Panthers have to beat West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl first, which would set up a showdown with No. 5 Cincinnati next week for the rights to the Big East. The Panthers know they have to focus on what’s in front of them, because there’s a lot more on the line than they’re used to in late November.

For West Virginia (7-3, 3-2), they’ve had a good year but not a memorable one. College football betting cappers know that that would change if they could upset Pittsburgh. The Mountaineers have really only played three good teams, and lost in those three contests. They are still living off of Rich Rodriguez’ recruits and that may be why they aren’t where they used to be.

Betting Edge: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh vs West Virginia betting odds maker breakdown: Offense
The Panthers offense has been very good this year, starting with quarterback Bill Stull. Last year, he was awful. This year, he is one of the most efficient quarterbacks around (4th in the nation). Along with freshman running back sensation Dion Lewis, tight end Dorin Dickerson and wideout Jonathan Baldwin, the Panthers have a very complete unit.

Meanwhile, West Virgina has a good offense but you have to wonder how healthy they are. Noel Devine is still recovering from an ankle sprain and also has hip and hamstring issues. He hasn’t topped the 100-yard mark in a month. Meanwhile quarterback Jarrett Brown is getting further away from his concussion. Even so, the offensive line has been shoddy in recent weeks and that could be the big difference this week.

Betting Edge: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh vs West Virginia betting odds maker breakdown: Defense
The Panthers defense is as good as it gets in the Big East, which is why it’s surprising to see sportsbook odds maker undervalue them. The Panthers should be able to dominate the line of scrimmage as Greg Romeus, Jabaal Sheard and Mick Williams are all playmakers. The Mountaineers offensive line will have to play their game of the year to keep the Panthers out of the backfield.

For West Virginia, their defense is getting better, but it’s not a defense you would lose sleep over trying to gameplan against. They have a couple of good players in end in Julian Miller, who has eight sacks, and safety Robert Sands. Even so, this unit has given up 30 to South Florida, 24 to Connecticut, 24 to Colorado, 41 to Auburn and even 20 to Liberty. They’ll have to force turnovers to keep the Panthers off the board.

Betting Edge: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh vs West Virginia betting odds maker breakdown: Notable Injuries
Both teams will have their key players in the game, but the difference will be health. The Panthers are coming off a bye week and should be fresh. The Mountaineers, on the other hand, would love a bye week, especially running back Noel Devine, who is the key to the offense but is beaten up badly.

Betting Edge: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh vs West Virginia betting odds breakdown: Outlook and Pick
The betting public doesn’t have much faith in Dave Wannstedt and, given his team’s ability to choke regularly, that’s understandable. Even so, the Panthers have the edges everywhere in this game, and as long as they don’t come up with a clunker - or turn it over four times – they’ll win this contest.

TONY’S PICK: Pittsburgh

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