West Virginia will be looking to get back to the .500 mark when it faces Pittsburgh in the basketball version of the Backyard Brawl on Wednesday night. The Mountaineers (3-4) have lost three of their last four games, including a 79-73 setback against St. John's last Friday. Pitt is slumping as well, with its latest loss coming against Clemson on Sunday. The Panthers (5-3) have lost three of their last four games after a 4-0 start to the season.
Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday at WVU Coliseum. The Panthers are favored by 3.5 points in the latest West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh odds, while the over/under is set at 138.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia picks, you'll want to see the NCAA Basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 5 of the 2023-24 season on a 98-61 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $2,000 for $100 players. It is also off to a 10-2 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Pitt vs. WVU You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:
- West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh spread: Pitt -3.5
- West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh over/under: 138.5 points
- West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh money line: West Virginia: +142, Pittsburgh: -167
- West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh picks: See picks here
Why West Virginia can cover
West Virginia's last two loses have come by a combined eight points, falling to then-No. 24 Virginia and St. John's. The Mountaineers also picked up a win over Bellarmine in between those setbacks, as Jesse Edwards posted a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. He finished in double figures again in the loss to St. John's, scoring 15 points and grabbing six rebounds.
Senior forward Quinn Slazinski led the way with 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists, knocking down 5 of 10 shots from the floor. He is the team's leading scorer overall this season, averaging 16.7 points and 4.9 boards. The Mountaineers have won six consecutive meetings between these teams, covering the spread in four of those games.
Why Pittsburgh can cover
Pittsburgh has not shied away from the road atmosphere in this rivalry, covering the spread in 10 of its last 15 visits to West Virginia. The Panthers have been an excellent team to back away from home in general, as they have covered in 10 of their last 12 road games. Blake Hinson tied his career high with 27 points against Clemson on Sunday, with 22 of them coming in the second half.
He ranks third in the ACC in scoring, averaging 20.5 points per game, leading the league in 3-pointers per game (3.8). Junior guard Ishmael Leggett is contributing 15.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, finishing in double figures in every contest. Freshman guard Carlton Carrington has made an immediate impact as well, chipping in 14.6 points, 5.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. See which team to pick here.
How to make West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh picks
The model has simulated Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh, and which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 98-61 roll on its top-ranked college basketball picks, and find out.
