The time has come once again for the staff here at The Smoking Musket to put on our Nostradamus robes and hats to peer into the future. FanDuel has Pitt listed as a 7.5-point favorite, after opening at -4, with the total set at 55.5. Can the Mountaineers rise from last week’s wreck and flip the script in the Backyard Brawl? Without further ado…
Michael Miller
WVU +7.5 ● Under 55.5
This one’s going to be ugly, but maybe that’s exactly what we need. The offense is a mess, the injuries are piling up, and nothing about last week inspires
confidence. But it’s the Backyard Brawl — chaos lives here. The defense has been the one steady asset through two weeks, and in front of sold out crowd they’ll find a way to drag this one across the finish line.
It won’t be pretty, but it’ll be poetic.
West Virginia 14 – Pitt 10
Jordan Pinto
WVU +7.5 ● Under 55.5
I generally like the defenses much better than the offenses here, so I’m expecting a low scoring game even with both teams going fast and generating lots of possessions. I think the things to watch, especially early, are:
- Offensively, what wrinkles has Rich put in to keep Pitt off balance and cover up some of our apparent personnel deficiencies?
- Defensively, are we A) getting to Holstein and B) getting him on the ground?
Ultimately, I think it comes down to us being due. We’ve been better than them for three straight years and have only won once. This time our defense and the crowd return the favor. Demons (partially) exorcised.
West Virginia 13 – Pitt 9
WVUNite
WVU +7.5 ● Under 55.5
I’m picking WVU here solely because I can’t pick a loss in this game (even though I did in my season prediction). This has to be the one game circled on the calendar and if there is anything left to prove this is where you prove it. A week of practice without White and Bray should give us at least a chance to gameplan for their losses. I expect to see Bowers and Vaughn give it their all. I hope Zach Alley told the defense that they have to score.
West Virginia 20 – Pitt 17
Statsboyandi
Pitt -7.5 ● Under 55.5
Last week, in a way, relieved me of worry about this game. Zen and the Art of Football, folks.
West Virginia 13 – Pitt 9
Nick Shoemaker
Pitt -7.5 ● Under 55.5
I’ll be honest, I’m not looking forward to this one anymore. Ohio is a good team (and could maybe even make the CFP, if they go undefeated in the MAC), but we showed very little potential on offense last week and injuries will likely make that worse. I think a lack of scoring will cost us this game, and I’m predicting no touchdowns for WVU, just field goals. I think the defense will keep us in the game for most of the time, but will get tired late because of excessive time on the field. I’m preparing for the worst and hoping I’m pleasantly surprised. But I’ll still be there and be loud, for as long as I reasonably can
Pitt 24 — West Virginia 12
Josh Whitt
Pitt -7.5 ● Under 55.5
How do you not let the Ohio game and Bob Mo getting a worse beat down from Youngstown State inform what’s going to happen in the Brawl? Throw out the records in a rivalry game, but WVU needs some kind of Bednarik to White revelation (in addition to O-Line improvement) to pull this one out.
