Spread & Over/Under Predictions for West Virginia vs. Pitt

The 192nd edition of the Backyard Brawl will take place in Morgantown tonight as West Virginia looks to remain perfect on the season and gain some momentum against a rival.

My picks for tonight's game are in, using the odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Spread: West Virginia -5.5

This is going to be a really good matchup that features teams in similar situations — a bunch of newcomers, a 3-0 start, and the first game versus a fellow high major. There's just something about homecourt advantage in basketball, particularly in this rivalry, that seems to tilt the board. WVU has one of the best homecourt advantages in all of college basketball and for a team that's making their first road trip of the season, that's a tough deal for the Panthers.

I do expect Pitt to play West Virginia tough and sit down in the halfcourt and really defend. They're going to try to push the ball out of Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff's hands and force someone else to beat them. It'll be a close game in the final minutes, but some Mountaineer free throws to put the game on ice will be what allows WVU to cover.

Total: 134.5

I've been riding the unders here early on with West Virginia, and despite this being right around the ballpark I pegged for my final score, I'll put a slight lean to the under. Games this intense can cause guys to try and do something outside of the norm, pushing the issue. Defense is what's going to win this game, and with it being the first time each team has played someone of relevance, there's going to be a feeling-out period in this game, and it may take the whole first half for either to get comfortable. I'm expecting an old-school defensive rock fight.

Note: Our predictions are not to be taken as gambling advice. These predictions are simply to give an opinion on what we think will happen in this week's game.

Tip is set for 6 p.m. ET on FS1. After the game, head over to our YouTube page (West Virginia On SI) for the Mountaineer Postgame Show where we'll take a look at the final numbers, talk about the positives, what needs to improve, and much more.

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Spread: West Virginia -5.5

Total: 134.5

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