Pittsburgh Panthers vs Virginia Cavaliers Point Spread Picks

Pittsburgh took advantage of a somewhat weak schedule to win its first seven games, but the Panthers ran into SMU and lost 48-25 while not coming close to covering the 7-point spread as an underdog. The Mustangs had a 31-3 lead at halftime and then cruised while piling up 467 yards of offense. Virginia will look to snap a three-game skid after having last week off and the Cavaliers are 10-1 ATS with rest against a team off a loss. They actually are 4-1 ATS their past five games although the Cavaliers do come off a 41-14 defeat against North Carolina on Oct. 26. Anthony Colandrea and Tony Muskett combined for 24 of 41 for 281 yards with a TD, but Colandrea was intercepted twice and sacked nine times. The offensive line has to be better in this matchup. Three of Pittsburgh's wins this year have been by four or fewer points. Take Virginia.

Bronco Mendenhall inherited a mess when he arrived in Virginia and his Cavaliers went 2-10 his first year. He has generated more wins each year and the Cavs won eight games last season and will be looking for more this year. The Cavaliers should have one of the top defenses in the ACC as well as nationally as they allowed just 20.1 points per game last season and should be even better this season. The Pittsburgh offense has a long way to go. The numbers from a season ago were pretty ugly as the Panthers ranked 98th in total offense and 94th in points. The Pitt defense made a lot of strides and in their final six games, opponents generated just 323 yards per contest. These two defenses both appear to be the better side of the ball in this game, and in the opener, the offenses tend to take time to become fluid. This one finishes UNDER.

Bronco Mendenhall was brought in to bring the Virginia program back after several poor seasons. While that rebuilding process is still ongoing, the Cavaliers have gotten significantly better at 6-2 and already Bowl eligible. The defense has been ahead of the offense at this point as it is better than average while the offense weighs in just about average in terms of yards per play and opponents faced. The best part of the Pitt offense is running the ball but stopping the run is the best part of the Virginia defense. That will negate the advantage for either side in this contest and I feel a lot of the game will be played between the 20s. These teams have played to the UNDER in four of the last five meetings and I see this one following suit. Pay on the UNDER.