How to Watch: Pitt vs. West Virginia

How to Watch the Backyard Brawl, Pitt Panthers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers.

M.J. Devonshire (12) of the Pittsburgh Panthers celebrates with head coach Pat Narduzzi and teammate Brandon Hill (9) during the second half of the Backyard Brawl against the West Virginia Mountaineers Pitt Vs West Virginia Backyard Brawl / Michael Longo/For USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers take on their hated rival in the West Virginia Mountaineers in the 107th edition of the Backyard Brawl at Acrisure Stadium on Sept. 14.

Quick Preview

Pitt is 2-0 after a blowout win, 55-24, vs. Kent State in the season opener at home on Aug. 31 and then made an historic comeback vs. the Cincinnati Bearcats on the road, 28-27, on Sept. 7.

West Virginia suffered a 34-12 defeat at home in the season opener on Aug. 31 to rival Penn State, but would get their first win of the season, 49-14, vs. FCS program Albany on Sept. 7, also at home.

History of the Backyard Brawl

The Backyard Brawl started between the two schools in 1895 and they've faced off 106 times since then, with Pitt holding a 62-41-3 lead in the rivalry.

The Panthers and Mountaineers faced off every year from 1920-1939 and then after the Second World War, they played every year from 1943-2011, 69 straight seasons, with a home-and-away alternate format from 1962-2011. 

Conference realignment put a hold on the rivalry after the 2011 season, as both teams left the now defunct Big East. WVU left for the Big 12 after 2011 and Pitt departed for the ACC after 2012.

The two schools agreed to bring the Backyard Brawl back in 2022 through 2025. They also agreed later on to make another four-year series from 2029-2032. 

Pitt and WVU played in front of the largest crowd ever for a sporting event in Pittsburgh with the return of the Backyard Brawl in 2022 at 70,622. Pitt would win that one late on an pick-six from M.J. Devonshire, 38-31.

The Mountaineers came back last year and won 17-6 at Milan Puskar Stadium, as Panthers quarterback Phil Jurkovec completed 8-of-20 passes with three interceptions in the defeat.

How to Watch

Pitt and West Virginia will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2. The game had a chance to air on ESPN, but No. 15 Oklahoma hosting Tulane gets that spot.

This marks the third straight game on national television for the Panthers in their non-conference portion of their schedule, as they defeated the Golden Flashes on ESPNU and the Bearcats also on ESPN2.

Odds

The Mountaineers are -2.5 point favorites over the Panthers according to FanDuel. To win this bet on the Mountaineers, they would need to beat the Panthers by at least three points. To win the bet on the Panthers, they would have to win the game, or lose the game to the Mountaineers by two points on less. 

West Virginia is also -130 and Pitt is +108 to win for the money line, a wager on the outcome of the game. A bettor would need to place a $130 wager just to win a $100 on West Virginia if they come out victorious, and a $100 wager on Pitt to win would earn the bettor $108.

The over/under is at 61.5 points with -115 for the over and -105 for the under. A bettor would need to make a wager of $115 to win an extra $100 if they are right about both teams scoring more than 61.5 points per game and a bettor would need to bet $105 to win an extra $100 if they are right about both teams scoring less than 61.5 total points in the game.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• No. 1 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps Pepperdine
• Pitt Men's Soccer Takes Down Louisville
• Pitt QB Sees Hatred in Backyard Brawl
• Pitt Basketball Gets Closer Look at 2026 Guard Duo
• Pitt HC Wants Backyard Brawl on Thanksgiving

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt