Pitt vs. West Virginia Odds, Preview, Picks, and Prediction for Thursday, November 13, 2025
Use Code WWWC On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Panthers will tangle with the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum, and we have you ready to go with our Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia prediction, odds, and preview. The college basketball edition of the "Backyard Brawl" tips off at 6:00 p.m. ET.
WVU is a five-point spread favorite, and the game total is 134 points scored.
Pittsburgh and West Virginia are both 3-0 this season. The rivalry between Pitt and WVU is among the longest and fiercest in college sports. Thursday's game marks the 192nd all-time meeting between the Panthers and Mountaineers on the hardwood. West Virginia leads the series 101-90 and has won six of the previous eight games, but Pittsburgh has won two straight, beating its rival 86-62 at home last season.
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Pitt must be more consistent this season
Pittsburgh (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS, and 1-2 O/U) has picked up double-digit wins over Youngstown State, Longwood, and Eastern Michigan. In the Panthers' latest victory, they shot 50.0 percent overall and scored 44 points in the paint. They are averaging 77.0 points (270th) on 45.4 percent shooting (201st), including 36.9 percent from three-point range (108th). Pitt's opponents are scoring 62.0 points per game (45th) on 35.9 percent shooting (42nd), including 26.9 percent from long range (84th).
The Panthers were 17-15 overall and 8-12 in ACC play last season, finishing in a five-way tie for ninth place in the conference. A few early non-conference wins vaulted them into the top 25, but they struggled when the calendar turned to 2025, with three four-game losing streaks. Pittsburgh is led by head coach Jeff Capel, who is 117-107 with one NCAA Tournament appearance since taking the position in 2018. Before Pitt, Capel was the head coach at VCU (2002-2006) and Oklahoma (2006-11) and an assistant under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke (2011-18), his alma mater.
The Panthers were picked to finish 14th (out of 18 teams) in the ACC preseason poll. They lost a lot of talented players from last season's squad, including Jaland Lowe (transferred to Kentucky), Guillermo Diaz Graham (San Francisco), Jorge Diaz Graham (Oregon State), Amsal Delalic (DePaul), and Marlon Barnes (Evansville). Ishmael Leggett and Zack Austin are also gone (exhausted eligibility). There are several returnees and a few transfer portal additions, however, who could help save Capel's job in a make-or-break season for the 50-year-old.
Six-foot-10 sophomore forward Papa Kante, a former four-star recruit, entered the portal but ended up staying, joining Cameron Corhen and Brandin Cummings as the team's key returning players. The senior forward Corhen is averaging 15.0 points and 10.7 rebounds, while the sophomore guard Cummings leads the team in scoring, although he missed the Eastern Michigan game. Depth is a concern for Pittsburgh, as only six players are averaging at least seven points per game. A few other players to watch are Oregon State transfer guard Damarco Minor (14.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 4.0 APG this season), Iowa State transfer guard (9.3 PPG and 4.3 RPG), and freshman forward Roman Siulepa (9.0 PPG and 4.7 RPG). Iowa State transfer center Dishon Jackson was expected to be a key contributor, but he is out indefinitely with an undisclosed medical situation.
Pittsburgh Panthers Basketball Injury Report: Cummings (lower-body) is a game-time decision for Thursday's game against West Virginia. "Beebah" missed the Panthers' last game after rolling his ankle in practice.
West Virginia will rely on defense to win games
West Virginia (3-0 SU, 1-2 ATS, and 0-3 O/U) beat Mount St. Mary's, Campbell, and Lehigh in its first three games of the season. In their last game, the Mountaineers shot 46.9 percent from the floor and held the Hawks to just 20 first-half points. WVU averages 71.0 points (324th) on 43.5 percent shooting (251st), including 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (189th). The Mountaineers' opponents average 55.3 points (14th) with a 36.3 percent field goal mark (49th), including 26.9 percent from long range (86th).
WVU was 19-13 last season, including 10-10 in Big 12 competition. The Mountaineers were led by first-year head coach Darian DeVries, who spent the previous six seasons coaching Drake into a Missouri Valley Conference title contender and NCAA tourney team. While the expectation was that he would be in Morgantown for years to come, DeVries unexpectedly bolted in the offseason to take the head coaching position at Indiana, taking his son Tucker (14.9 PPG and 4.9 RPG) with him. West Virginia was left scrambling in the wake of his departure, needing a new coach and a brand-new roster for this season.
The Mountaineers opted for Ross Hodge, who spent the previous two seasons leading North Texas. The 45-year-old coached the Mean Green to a 19-15 record and an NIT appearance in year one, and a 27-9 record last season, including a 14-4 mark in conference play and an NIT Semifinals appearance. North Texas excelled defensively under Hodge, holding its opponents to 60.1 points per game last season, the third-fewest in the country. Defense will always be key in the Big 12, and especially for West Virginia this season with a new-look roster.
WVU, picked to finish 11th out of 16 teams in the conference's preseason poll, features several impactful newcomers. Senior forward Brenen Lorient (16.3 PPG and 9.7 RPG this season) started his college basketball career at Florida Atlantic and excelled last season under Hodge at North Texas, scoring 11.9 points with 4.9 rebounds per game. He also averaged about a block and a steal per game and will be tasked with wearing a few hats for the Mountaineers. Senior point guard Jasper Floyd (11.3 PPG and 4.0 APG) was Hodge's floor general at UNT, and senior shooting guard Honor Huff (15.7 PPG) arrives via Chattanooga, where he led the nation in three-pointers made last season. A few other key contributors are senior forward Treysen Eaglestaff (18.9 PPG at North Dakota), 7-foot senior center Harlan Obioha (9.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG at UNC-Wilmington last season), and freshman forward DJ Thomas (6.7 PPG this year).
West Virginia Mountaineers Basketball Injury Report: F Jackson Fields (hand), a senior transfer from Troy, sat out the first three games and will “probably not” play against Pitt, per Hodge.
Pitt vs. West Virginia Pick and Preview
Spread Pick for Pitt vs. West Virginia
- Panthers +5 (4 Units)
I lean towards Pittsburgh's side against the spread.
The Panthers may get Cummings back for this game, which would be very impactful. The sophomore played in 31 games last season, showing flashes of his scoring potential, most notably in a 30-point performance against Western Kentucky. He impressed in the first two games of this season, shooting 50 percent from the floor, including 7-for-12 (58.3%) from long range. Cummings also worked his way to the foul line, knocking down 12 of his 17 free throws. He and Minor give Pitt a solid backcourt combo, and his availability would boost their guard depth, as it would allow Indrusaitis to come off the bench. Given how efficient Corhen has been inside the arc (61.9%), the Panthers will have an inside-out attack that will create matchup problems for West Virginia if Cummings plays.
I'm also confident that Pittsburgh will outrebound WVU. Corhen is averaging nearly 11 boards, Kante is averaging almost 8, and Minor is grabbing over six per game as a point guard. The Mountaineers only have one player (Lorient) averaging more than nine rebounds per game, and the next player (Obioha) averages 5.3. It's no secret that the home team's offense is low-scoring, so if they can't get second-chance opportunities via offensive rebounds (or give up too many on the other end of the court), they will struggle to cover the spread.
Over/Under Pick for Pitt vs. West Virginia
- Under 134 (5 Units)
The Panthers and Mountaineers will almost certainly play a low-scoring game; the only question is, how low? With or without Cummings, Pittsburgh will be challenged by West Virginia's defense. The Mountaineers are locked in on that end of the court, which is to be expected from a Hodge-coached team. WVU ranks 17th nationally in defensive efficiency and 26th in opponent turnovers per offensive play, while Pitt has been a little sloppy with the basketball, averaging a TO on 16.5 percent of their offensive plays (217th nationally). How effective will they be on the road in a raucous rivalry atmosphere? The Mountaineers were blown out in the last two Backyard Brawls and will be eager to make a gritty, defensive statement under their new coach.
The Panthers' defense has also been legit, ranking top 50 in defensive efficiency, points allowed, and opponent FG%. They're also 29th in defensive rebounding. Will the home team make enough shots inside the arc to win and cover, likely pushing the total over 134? That's an important question, as the Mountaineers shoot 33 percent from beyond the arc and don't take many threes, so they need to hit their twos. Pitt has held its ground inside the arc, ranking 30th in opponent two-point percentage (41.0%), suggesting West Virginia's offense is in for a challenge.
Both teams shoot under 70 percent at the free-throw line, as well. That's an x-factor when considering the over/under in a rivalry matchup that will be defensive in nature. Considering that the Panthers and Mountaineers are slow-paced, ranking 278th (Pitt) and 312th (WVU) in possessions per game, the under is the most logical bet on Thursday's Backyard Brawl.
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