West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 1

Week 1 of the college football season is here and we waste no time with a loaded Thursday slate of games.

The first night of Week 1 is headlined by the renewal of The Backyard Brawl between West Virginia and Pittsburgh.

Pitt won the ACC Championship last season, but must replace its first-round pick quarterback, Biletnikoff Award winning wide receiver and offensive coordinator. Can the Panthers get off to a hot start at home against a West Virginia team that has some upside on hand with transfer quarterback JT Daniels reuniting with OC Graham Harrell from their time at USC?

Let's check out the odds for this ACC/Big 12 showdown in Week 1 from FanDuel Sportsbook:

West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Odds, Spread and Total

Spread:

• West Virginia: +6.5 (-105)
• Pittsburgh: -6.5 (-115)

Moneyline:

• West Virginia: +220
• Pittsburgh: -275

Total:

• 51.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Prediction and Pick

• West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is 6-6 against the spread (ATS) as a road underdog
• West Virginia is 6-3 in non-conference games under Neal Brown
• Pitt is 48-40-2 ATS under Pat Narduzzi
• However, Pitt is 12-18-2 as a home favorite ATS in that time span

West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Prediction and Pick

Pitt had a magical season in 2021 behind a high octane offense, winning the ACC Championship and the Peach Bowl. However, Narduzzi appears to be going back to his roots, relying on a physical defense and a ground game to outlast his opponents.

That's a bit concerning for me and I don't envision Narduzzi is going to find the success he had last season. By focusing on the running game he is going to run into a similar issue he had prior to the Kenny Pickett led team last season, in which he struggled to pull away from teams he was expected to beat, evident in his 12-18-2 ATS mark as a home favorite.

Meanwhile, West Virginia enters this season with question marks of its own is and expected to be considerably worse than the Pitt. The Mountaineers have a win total of 5.5 while the Panthers have a lofty number of 8.5. However, this matchup fits the mold of a spot where Narduzzi struggles.

I also think there is some upside to the Mountaineers with talented yet often injured quarterback Daniels coming from Georgia by way of USC. If Daniels and Harrell catch lightning in a bottle and get the passing game going against a stout Pitt defense, this game has all the makings of a barn burner, especially with the hosts being shallow on vertical threats.

I think there's a bit too much credit going towards Pitt in Week 1 considering this is a completely different roster from last season, leading me towards the visitors as underdogs.

Ken Barkley joined The Early Reed last week and shared a similar sentiment.

LEAN: West Virginia +6.5 (-105)

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