West Virginia vs Pitt Odds and Predictions (Nov. 11)

• West Virginia meets Pitt in the basketball edition of the Backyard Brawl on  Friday, November 11
• West Virginia is a one-point road favorite and has won the last four
• Read below for West Virginia vs Pitt odds and prediction

West Virginia (1-0) is a one-point road favorite against Pitt in the yearly college basketball edition of the Backyard Brawl rivalry at 7:00 pm ET Friday on the ACC Network. This is the 187th game between the two schools, which are located 78 miles apart.

Pitt (1-0) opened the season with a big win against UT-Martin but will be without two of its top players, forward John Hugley IV and guard Dior Johnson. Hugley IV is rehabbing a knee injury and Johnson is under a school suspension.

West Virginia vs Pitt Odds

Odds from  DraftKings on Nov. 10. Claim a DraftKings Sportsbook promo code.  

West Virginia is a slim one-point road favorite over Pitt in the 187th edition of the Backyard Brawl, a series the Panthers have dominated since it resumed in 2017 following a five-season layoff due to scheduling complications when both teams changed conferences, Pitt to the ACC and West Virginia to the Big 12.

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The Mountaineers are 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS since the resumption of the series (it was not played in 2020 because of Covid) and have won the last four by an average of 12 points. Pitt covered as a 17-point underdog in a 74-59 loss in Morgantown last season.

West Virginia Eyes a Rebound

Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers suffered through a Jekyll-Hyde 2021-22 season, when they opened 13-2 but lost 14 of their final 15 games to finish at the bottom of the Big 12. That came a year after they beat Morehead State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed and lost in the second round in to Syracuse.

Huggins hit the transfer portal to replenish an offense that lost leading scorers Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil. No one who averaged more than six points per game returns, although returning reserve guard Kedrian Johnson is expected to step up. The Mountaineers are counting more on a plethora of transfers — Iowa transfer Joe Toussaint, Texas transfer Tre Mitchell, South Carolina transfer Erik Stevenson, St. Louis transfer Jimmy Ball and Washington transfer (and former Mountaineer) Emmitt Matthews Jr.

He's back 😈@THEDOOSKIE pic.twitter.com/LOCJ12p9b4

— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) November 8, 2022

Matthews had 15 points, Mitchell had 13 points and Stevenson added 10 points in the Mountaineers’ 76-58 victory over Mount St. Mary’s. Matthews, a 6’7 forward, spent his first three seasons at West Virginia before averaging 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds at Washington. He added seven rebounds and five assists in the opener.

Mitchell, 6’9, is at his third school in three seasons. After averaging 18 points and 7.2 rebounds in two seasons at UMass, he spent last season at Texas, where he averaged 8.7 points in 24 games but missed the final two months on a personal leave of absence. He was limited by a preseason ankle injury. Huggins covets toughness and rebounding, and the Mountaineers outrebounded Mount St. Mary’s 45-28 and had 17 second-chance points.

Pitt Mines the Portal

Pittsburgh added All-Patriot League guard Nelly Cummings from Colgate, freshman guard Dior Johnson and Ole Miss transfer Blake Hinson to give forward John Hugley IV some help, but things have not gone as planned so far. Hugley IV missed the 80-58 victory over UT-Martin because of a knee injury, and Johnson has been under school suspension after being charged with aggravated assault in October.

Blake Hinson's 27 points leads Pitt to an 80-58 win in their opener against UT Martin!@Pitt_MBB pic.twitter.com/BJnqYfASqG

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) November 8, 2022

Hinson, 6’7, was a bright spot in the opener. He had 27 points and 13 rebounds in his first game since the 2019-20 season at Ole Miss where he averaged 9.1 points in his first two years. He sat out the last two seasons after transferring to Iowa State before joining the Panthers. Cummings started at point and had eight points and seven assists. Finnish center Federiko Federiko had 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots as Hugley IV sat out.

Hugley IV, who averaged 14.8 points per game last season, missed four weeks in the preseason and did not play in either exhibition game because of the knee injury. He began non-contact work earlier in the week, which indicates that his return may still be weeks away.

West Virginia vs Pitt Prediction

West Virginia has something to prove after its pratful last season, and with Huggins in charge the Mountaineers will not be short of physicality. West Virginia has won the last four games in the series and should continue the trend against a Pitt team without its best player. The venue does not matter in this rivalry series.

• Pick: West Virginia -1 (-110), 2 units 
• Season CBB record: 2-1 ATS