West Virginia Mountaineers at Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Preview/Prop Picks
01 September 2022
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: West Virginia 91.359; Pittsburgh 95.785
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 4 ½; 44
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 7 ½; 52
Dunkel Pick: West Virginia (+7 ½); Under
An old rivalry is set to renew on Thursday night when the Pittsburgh Panthers host the West Virginia Mountaineers. These two teams no longer meet up every year since they aren’t in the same conference, but there isn’t any love lost.
West Virginia won just six games a season ago, but the season ended with a bowl game loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Mountaineers are not expected to be a top contender in the Big 12 this season, but they are a talented team.
Pittsburgh won the ACC a season ago, and they come into 2022 with some lofty expectations. The Panthers did lose their biggest start from the 2021 season, but they have a roster that should once again be able to make a run in conference play.
The Pittsburgh Panthers are 7.5-point betting favorites over the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Mountaineers Must Run
The Mountaineers were dominated in the trenches a season ago as they struggled to run the football and protect their quarterback. West Virginia was last in the Big 12 Conference in rushing, and they have to find a way to get the ground game going.
JT Daniels is the new starting quarterback in West Virginia, and he is talented enough to put the Mountaineers on his back and lead the team to wins. The Mountaineers do need to protect their new star, especially against a solid defense.
West Virginia should have a solid defense again in 2022, and that unit will have to find a way to get to the quarterback.
Panthers Looking to Replace Pickett
The Pittsburgh Panthers were led by Kenny Pickett a season ago, and he had a monster season for this team. The transfer portal was good to Pittsburgh as they went out and got Kedon Slovis from USC to play the quarterback position.
Not only does Pittsburgh appear set at the quarterback position, but they also have two great wide receivers on the roster. The Panthers will need to sprinkle in some runs, but they have the ability to be explosive.
The Pittsburgh defense was overlooked at times in 2021, but they could take over this game on Thursday. Pittsburgh has some future NFL stars on that defense, and they can be disruptive.
Pittsburgh Survives a Scare
This game will be a perfect showcase for just how wild the transfer portal is in college football, as both teams will have a new starter under center. The Panthers do return a bulk of their starters from a season ago, while West Virginia has plenty of holes to fill in.
You can expect to see plenty of passes in this game, but the biggest difference will be the ability for Pittsburgh to get some yards on the ground. Don’t expect to see a ton of separation in this game, but playing on the road in Pittsburgh is not going to end well for the Mountaineers.
Take the 7.5 points and bet on the West Virginia Mountaineers to cover the spread on Thursday night, but Pittsburgh will come away with the win.
Prop Picks
Pittsburgh (+100) UNDER 29.5 Points
West Virginia allowed an average of 25.8 points per game last season on defense, which ranked No. 52 in the FBS. That average remained relatively steady at 26.9 points per game on the road. Scores have gone UNDER in four of the Mountaineers’ last five games versus Pittsburgh.
With Dunkel predicting a Panthers win by the score of 24-20, take Pittsburgh (+100) to finish UNDER their Vegas team total of 29.5 points against West Virginia.
JT Daniels (-115) UNDER 244.5 Passing Yards
West Virginia averaged 239.9 passing yards per game last season on offense, which ranked No. 57 in the FBS. That average decreased to 224.1 passing yards per game on the road.
With Dunkel predicting the final score staying UNDER the Vegas point total, take Daniels (-115) to finish UNDER 244.5 passing yards against the Panthers.
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