West Virginia at Pittsburgh Preview For Week 1

Scroll down to see our model's best bets for this game and get insight for both teams!

West Virginia Mountaineers

The Mountaineers had a lot of problems in 2021, finishing with a 6-7 record and far too much inconsistent play to be a contender. The offense wasn't bad, per se, but they weren't able to sustain enough success. New offensive coordinator Graham Harrell should be able to fix all of that, reuniting with former USC top recruit JT Daniels to try and make West Virginia relevant again. Daniels has a very notable history of getting injured, it's why he left USC for Georgia, and why he left Georgia for West Virginia. He's as talented as they come, and has the potential to put up massive numbers. IF he can stay on the field. That is an all-caps IF.

One thing is for sure, he'll have one of his best offensive lines behind the Mountaineers veteran front five. Not only will that help him with avoiding injury, but against a Pittsburgh defense that really struggles against the pass, he could have a field day in Week 1. The Panthers secondary gave up 264 yards per game last season, getting blasted for big plays far too often.

Daniels can win football games with his talent, and the West Virginia defense is bringing back most of its starters from last season that allowed just 350 yards per game. They should be much improved in 2022.

Pittsburgh Panthers

Let's just get this out of the way first. Yes, Kenny Pickett is gone, so that obviously is not good for Pittsburgh. Well, the college Pittsburgh team anyways. Jordan Addison has also taken his talents to South California. The good news is, just like West Virginia, they have a former USC starting QB at the helm that is pretty good as well. Kedon Slovis has the talent and ability to keep this offense on the same path Pickett had it. He might not be as explosive as Pickett, but he's a good QB that will have a bunch of talent around him to help out.

The Panthers biggest asset is their defensive line, which could be one of the best in the country. While the Mountaineer offensive line is experienced and should be better, they are still a unit that didn’t do much of anything last year for the running game and was the worst in the Big 12 in sacks and tackles for loss allowed. The Panthers were No. 1 in the ACC against the run, second in the nation behind Oklahoma State in sacks, and was fifth in the country in tackles for loss.

This is a talented defensive front seven that should bring the pressure all game and really test Daniels and that offensive line.

My Favorite Bet: West Virginia ATS

Giving me over a touchdown with West Virginia seems like a trap here, but I have to roll with it. This is the Backyard Brawl, after all, in its return. These rivals last played in 2011, 11 years ago, in a super close 21-20 Mountaineer win. I don't foresee it being that low scoring this time around, but I do see it being a close game again. Even with the ferocious pass rush of the Panthers, Daniels should have a several chances to burn this poor Pittsburgh secondary down the field. Slovis and the balanced attack of the Panthers will also be able to move the ball enough to put up their points.

This is a tug-of-war affair that I think will end in a Pittsburgh victory, but I wouldn't be totally shocked if West Virginia won. Either way, I'll take the +7.5 with the Mountaineers and feel pretty good about it.

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