WVU Opens as Big Underdog at Pitt

It's a rivalry game, yet the Panthers are heavily favored.

The 2022 edition of the Backyard Brawl will feature a pair of former starting USC quarterbacks - Kedon Slovis (Pitt) and JT Daniels (West Virginia). Both programs have seen significant losses to the transfer portal this offseason, but none may be bigger than Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison leaving Pitt for, you guessed it, USC. 

Pitt is coming off of its first ACC Championship, meanwhile Neal Brown and the Mountaineers are looking to finally begin their ascension in "the climb" after three mediocre seasons. Given the recent production from the two programs, it's easy to see why the oddsmakers in Las Vegas favor Pitt so heavily. According to VegasInsider.com, the Panthers opened as 7-point favorites over the Mountaineers. That line was quickly bet down to 6.5. Pitt went 10-3 against the spread a year ago, while WVU went 6-6.

It's been ten years since these two programs squared off against one another, which was the last time both were members of the now disintegrated Big East Conference. West Virginia has dominated the series of late, winning seven of the last ten meetings and 16 of the last 23, including the last three games. 

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