Pittsburgh vs Western Michigan Prediction, Preview, Stream, Odds & Picks
The Pitt Panthers won the ACC Championship last year. They had a great 2021 season and yet, one of their worst moments was an upset loss to Western Michigan where they were a big favorite on the college football odds.
This year, Pittsburgh is out for revenge. WMU will try to make it two in a row over the Panthers but the oddsmakers at the BetUs sportsbook aren’t expecting it to happen.
Let’s check the latest NCAAF picks, stats, injury reports, and NCAAF odds for Pittsburgh vs Western Michigan. We’ve plenty of NCAAF predictions for you to consider.
Pittsburgh Panthers
Pittsburgh played a thriller in Week 1 in which it needed a late tiebreaking score to beat West Virginia by seven points.
In Week 2, the Panthers played another high-drama game. This time, they did not break the tie late in regulation and ended up losing in overtime.
They went into the extra frame with the Tennessee Volunteers but the Panthers were dealing with bad luck throughout the entire game.
They watched starting quarterback Kedon Slovis get hurt midway through the contest and then in overtime, the lack of Slovis’ throwing arm showed.
Tennessee scored and Pittsburgh could not answer, and the Panthers fell 34-27 to even their record for the year at 1-1.
Pittsburgh has played two home games and now the Panthers have to go on the road and face a rabid Western Michigan crowd for a night game. The health of Slovis is impacting this line for those who BetOnline.
Western Michigan Broncos
Western Michigan team scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to beat Ball State 37-30 in a MAC game in Week 2. The yardage and a lot of the other team stats from the game were relatively even.
Where Western Michigan separated itself from Ball State was by converting four fourth downs in six chances.
Those four fourth-down conversions extended drives for the Broncos, who held the ball for 34 minutes and 16 seconds, compared to 25 minutes and 44 seconds for Ball State.
The extra time of possession kept Ball State’s offense off the field and gave Western Michigan the leverage it needed to win.
WMU ran and passed for over 200 yards apiece, part of a balanced attack that created 27 first downs in the game. They’ll need it again if they’re to pull out the upset against Pitt.
Pittsburgh vs Western Michigan Injury Report
Pittsburgh defensive lineman Deslin Alexandre, receiver Jake McConnachie, and running back Rodney Hammond are all questionable for this game.
Quarterback Kedon Slovis was injured against Tennessee this past weekend, but head coach Pat Narduzzi says he feels good and is expected to play in this game for Pitt.
Western Michigan has a clean injury report for this game.
Pittsburgh vs Western Michigan Head-to-Head
The teams met last season in Pittsburgh. Western Michigan pulled the upset, 44-41.
Pittsburgh vs Western Michigan Game Information
- Game: Pittsburgh vs Western Michigan
- Location: Waldo Stadium, Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Day/Time: Saturday, Sep17, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Pittsburgh vs Western Michigan Live Stream: ESPN
Pittsburgh vs Western Michigan Betting Lines
Pittsburgh vs Western Michigan Prediction
The fact that Slovis is expected to play should be reassuring for Pitt. This is why the Panthers are a 10-point favorite.
One has to wonder, though, if Slovis will have 100% mobility and if his full range of motion will not be affected by the injury.
This invites some questions into this game, enough to think that while Pitt wins outright, WMU can cover the spread and keep the game reasonably close. Take the Broncos on the spread for your college football picks.
