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The No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers reloaded on offense this offseason and are hoping to display another high-flying attack on Thursday when they open the regular season against the West Virginia Mountaineers. The game will be the 105th renewal of the Backyard Brawl, which was last played in 2011. The Panthers enter their season opener as a ranked team for the first time since 2010. Pittsburgh is 86-44-2 (.659) all-time in openers, including 16-6 (.727) since 2000.

Kickoff from Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh will be at 7 p.m. ET. Pittsburgh was one of the top passing offenses in 2021, finishing eighth in passing yards per game at 337.4, while the Mountaineers were 56th in the nation at 247.9. The Panthers are favored by eight points in the latest West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 51. Before making any Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia picks or Week 1 college football predictions, you need to see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It enters Week 1 of the 2022 college football season on a 45-32 run on all top-rated college football spread and money-line picks that dates back to 2021. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Pitt vs. WVU and locked in its picks and CFB predictions for the Backyard Brawl 2022. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for WVU vs. Pitt:

  • West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh spread: Pitt -8
  • West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh over/under: 51 points
  • West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh money line: WVU +250, Pitt -320
  • WVU: The Mountaineers are 10-3 against the spread in their last 13 September games
  • PITT: The Panthers are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 non-conference games
  • West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Pittsburgh can cover

The Panthers have bolstered their offense with the influx a number of transfers, including senior quarterback Kedon Slovis from USC and sophomore wide receiver Konata Mumpfield from Akron. Slovis has two years of eligibility left after playing 27 games for the Trojans, including 26 starts. At USC, he completed 68% of his passes for 7,576 yards with 58 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He was 2020 first-team All-Pac-12 selection and was the 2019 Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year.

Mumpfield was a 2021 Freshman All-American and second-team All-MAC selection. He started all 12 games for the Zips last season and led Akron with 63 receptions, 751 yards and eight touchdowns. He has three career 100-yard receiving games. In a game against Western Michigan, Mumpfield had 11 receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He also had six receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns against Bowling Green.

Why West Virginia can cover

Sophomore running back Tony Mathis Jr. returns, strengthening the Mountaineers' rushing attack. Mathis was the team's second-leading rusher last season, carrying 72 times for 312 yards (4.3 average), including a long run of 45 yards. His best game was in a 34-28 win at Kansas on Nov. 27, when he carried 22 times for 118 yards (5.4 average). He had a solid effort in West Virginia's 18-6 bowl loss to Minnesota when he carried 13 times for 56 yards, and caught five passes for 24 yards.

The wide receiver corps also returns a number of key contributors, including redshirt junior Bryce Ford-Wheaton, the team's second-leading receiver in 2021. Ford-Wheaton caught 42 passes for 575 yards (13.7 average) and three touchdowns. He was a big reason the Mountaineers knocked off No. 22 Iowa State last season, catching six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the Oct. 30 meeting. In three seasons at West Virginia, he has 81 receptions for 1,192 yards (14.7 average) and eight TDs.

How to make West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 49 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.

So who wins WVU vs. Pitt? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks.