Pittsburgh vs Virginia Tech Odds: Expect Lots of Running & Sloppy Football In This ACC Showdown

The Pittsburgh Panthers will take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in an ACC matchup on Saturday. Both teams are coming into this game with a 1-3 record and no ACC wins.

At least we know one team will earn an ACC win on Saturday.

It’s our job to figure out which team it will be.

Take a look at the Pittsburgh vs Virginia Tech odds for this intriguing ACC matchup featured on the ACC Network during primetime.

Sssh, It’s A Secret!

The Pittsburgh Panthers are in a bit of a dilemma right now. The Panthers don’t have a quarterback that they trust.

The Panthers lost to North Carolina, 41-24, last weekend. In that game, the typical starter, Phil Jurkovec, took the first half reps, going 11-for-15 for 109 yards and no touchdowns.

In the second half, Christian Veilleux finished going 7-for-18 with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He had a QBR of .9 in that game.

Certainly, from a stats standpoint, the former Boston College quarterback, Phil Jurkovec, played better. But the stats weren’t the issue.

Jurkovec got hit late in the first half by a North Carolina player’s targeting. He wasn’t healthy enough to play in the second half and might not be available for Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech.

If Jurkovec is healthy, he’ll get the start. If he’s not, it’ll be Veilleux’s chance to shine in his first start with the club this season.

The Panthers better hope Jurkovec is OK. This season, Jurkovec hasn’t performed at the level Pittsburgh fans were expecting. But he’s still the better option moving forward.

Head coach Pat Narduzzi likely won’t tell the public who’s starting until we see it with our own eyes on Saturday night.

More Kyron Drones on Saturday?

Virginia Tech starting quarterback Grant Wells has been sidelined with a leg injury. He’s missed games against Rutgers and Marshall, and head coach Brent Pry doesn’t seem too hopeful that Wells will be available in this game against Pittsburgh.

Wells has played much better than Drones up to this point.

Before Wells was injured, he threw 494 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. Meanwhile, Kyron Drones has only thrown one touchdown and has 389 yards passing on 75 attempts. Those 75 attempts are 13 more than Wells.

Drones is more of a dynamic player with running ability. He’s added 164 yards on the ground on 41 attempts and has two rushing touchdowns.

However, Virginia Tech has lost both games against Rutgers and Marshall with Drones as the starter. The team hasn’t scored more than 17 points in either game.

The Hokies certainly miss that veteran leadership from Wells. In his career, Wells has thrown for over 8,000 yards and 48 touchdowns. Virginia Tech would love to have him back on the field.

It sounds unlikely that Wells has made enough progress to start this game.

Below, we’ll touch on the college football betting lines and look at the Pittsburgh vs Virginia Tech odds for Saturday’s matchup.

Pittsburgh vs Virginia Tech Odds

The Pittsburgh Panthers are 2.5-point favorites against the Virginia Tech Hokies on the road. Meanwhile, the total is 39.5, with very few points expected to be scored.

That’s because we might see backup quarterbacks playing on both sides in this game.

Pittsburgh has gone 0-3-1 against the spread to start the season. The Panthers pushed against Wofford as 38-point favorites but couldn’t cover as favorites against Cincinnati and lost outright by multiple scores to West Virginia and North Carolina despite having spreads at a touchdown or less.

In the first four games, the Over has hit in three times. Pittsburgh has also seen the Over hit in eight of its last ten games.

On the other hand, Virginia Tech is 1-3 against the spread. The Hokies earned a 36-17 win against Old Dominion to cover a 16.5-point spread. However, since then, Virginia Tech has failed to cover after losing their last three games by at least one touchdown. The Hokies have lost to Purdue, Rutgers, and Marshall, which weren’t easy games either.

The Hokies have hit the Over and Under two times each to begin the season.

Finally, Virginia Tech hasn’t defeated Pittsburgh since November 2019. Pittsburgh has won the last three meetings in this ACC matchup. The Panthers have been favorites of six points or more in those three games and covered each by winning by multiple scores.

Lots Of Defense From Pittsburgh!

Virginia Tech will likely start Kyren Drones at quarterback this weekend. Drones has completed only 54.7% of passes and has averaged only 5.2 yards per pass this season.

He’s got potential running the football, but the Hokies are facing a difficult Pittsburgh defense that has been dominant against the run this season.

Pittsburgh has held teams to 1108.8 yards per game on the ground. The Panthers have also allowed just 159.5 yards in the air this season.

While Pittsburgh could use better tackling techniques, the Panthers are a dominant defense in all game phases. They might be 1-3, but they’ve scored 96 points while allowing 92 points this season.

They’ve got a margin of +4. That’s mainly due to the defense.

The Panthers Run Game Will Be The Difference

The Pittsburgh Panthers won’t be close to the top of the NCAAF rankings anytime soon. But they’ll likely come out on top in this game.

The Panthers finally have a game on the college football schedule this weekend that they can win.

Pittsburgh has only thrown the ball 182 yards per game. But they’ve rushed it for 135.8 yards per game. With a potential backup quarterback, the Panthers will likely run the ball a lot more.

They’ve got the edge. Rodney Hammon Jr. has earned 39 carries for 178 yards and three touchdowns. He’s averaged 4.6 yards per carry and will face a Virginia Tech defense that has allowed 212.5 yards per game on the ground this season.

The Hokies have been solid defending the pass, holding teams to 138.5 yards per game in the air. Because of that, Pittsburgh’s game plan should be to run the ball as much as possible.

Therefore, we like Pittsburgh to edge out Virginia Tech in this game. The Under 39.5 also sounds reasonable, knowing both teams will likely run the ball and let the clock trickle down. Neither team has looked any good throwing the football.

However, Pittsburgh’s got that one edge in the run game.

Back Pittsburgh at -2.5 and consider the Under 39.5 for this ACC matchup.

For more NCAAF news, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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