West Virginia vs. Pitt Prediction, Odds, Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 3

Reed Wallach | Sep 10, 2024

Sep 7, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene (6) rolls out to pass during the first quarter against the Albany Great Danes at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images / Ben Queen-Imagn Images

West Virginia and Pitt meet in the Backyard Brawl on Satuday afternoon.

Pitt's offense has enjoyed a resurgence and it led to a come from behind win against Cincinnati on Saturday in Week 2. Now, a rival in West Virginia comes, looking for another victory at the hands of the Panthers. Can Pitt keep it rolling, or will Garrett Greene and the Mountaineers win as road favorites?

Here's our full betting preview.

West Virginia vs. Pitt Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• West Virginia: -2.5 (-115)
• Pitt: +2.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• West Virginia: -130
• Pitt: +108

Total: 60.5

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

West Virginia vs. Pitt How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, September 14
• Game Time: 3:30 PM EST
• Venue: Acrisure Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
• West Virginia Record: 1-1
• Pitt Record: 2-0

West Virginia vs. Pitt Key Players to Watch

West Virginia

Garrett Greene: Greene got hurt early in last year's edition of the Backyard Brawl, but West Virginia won a slog 17-6. Greene has shown he can be an explosive play both as a passer and a rusher, and will look to take the top off a vulnerable Pitt secondary that allowed both Kent State and Cincinnati to score more than 24 points. 

Pitt

Eli Holstein: Holstein looks comfortable in the new-look Pitt offensive system, run by former Western Carolina offensive coordinator Kade Bell. After a slow start, Holstein finished with 302 yards and three passing touchdowns in the Panthers come from behind effort, resulting in a 28-27 win. Can Holstein keep it up against another Big 12 foe? 

West Virginia vs. Pitt Prediction and Pick

While Pitt’s offense seems to be far more formidable this season with a fresh look in play calling, I believe this is a bit of an upgrade against a sturdy West Virginia defense and a capable offense. 

The Panthers stormed back to win at Cincy, but I’m not sold this team is primed to make it two in a row as the Mountaineers are far more stout in the trenches, which can slow down the likes of Desmond Reid, who had 17 carries for 119 yards in the win. 

Further, Pitt had some timely stops in the red zone, but were torched on a per play basis by the Cincinnati offense, who average over six yards per play. 

The Mountaineers should be stronger in the trenches, but this is a team that allowed nearly six yards per play and ranked below the national average in explosive play rate. Pitt has shown a capability to scheme up plays both on the ground and through the air (52% success rate last week, per GameonPaper, which is 91st percentile relative to games last season), which makes me confident that the team has a fairly high floor on offense now. 

However, Greene and the Mountaineers offense can get it going with the ball as well. The West Va. offense ranked top 33 in both explosive run and pass rate last season and only allowed nine sacks, due in part to Greene’s ability to extend plays with his legs and turn broken plays into positive gains. 

The pace should be quick, and each team should move the ball fairly well. I’ll bet the over. 

PICK: OVER 60.5

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33

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