Pitt vs Virginia Tech prediction, odds, pick, how to watch Week 5

college football odds series for our Pitt Virginia Tech prediction and pick. Find how to watch Pitt Virginia Tech.

This is not a game you will enjoy if you love great offense and smooth, sophisticated passing attacks. Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech have both struggled to throw the ball in 2023. They both struggled to throw the ball in 2022 as well. Pittsburgh won the ACC championship in 2021 behind quarterback Kenny Pickett and receiver Jordan Addison, who then transferred to USC before the 2022 season. Pitt's offense hasn't been the same since Pickett left for the NFL and Addison transferred out of the program. Pitt looked horrible in a brutal loss to archrival West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl earlier this season. Coach Pat Narduzzi wants a team which can run the ball, but he has plainly neglected to field a team which can competently pass the ball and create enough balance to keep opposing defenses guessing.

Virginia Tech has been in search of a good passing game for several years. It is a point of great frustration for the Hokies that Hendon Hooker — who was one of the best players in college football in 2022 with Tennessee — used to play for Virginia Tech but was not given the caliber of coaching which could maximize his talent. Virginia Tech is adrift as a program, lacking the offense needed to score big and lacking the athletes which can provide an imposing defense and serve as a counterweight to the team's lack of scoring punch. Both teams are having miserable seasons, which helps explain why the point spread is so close and the game feels a lot like a coin flip.

Here are the Pitt-Virginia Tech College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Football Odds: Pitt-Virginia Tech Odds

Pitt Panthers: -1.5 (-115)

Virginia Tech Hokies: +1.5 (-105)

Over: 40.5 (-105)

Under: 40.5 (-115)

How To Watch Pitt vs Virginia Tech

TV: ACC Network

Stream: ESPN Plus

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT

*Watch Pitt vs Virginia Tech LIVE on fuboTV (click for free trial)*

Why Pitt Could Cover the Spread

Betting on this game is something which has to be placed in its proper context. Sometimes, betting on a sporting event is an act of trust in the team you think will win and thrive. This is not one of those games. This is a game in which a smart bettor won't trust the team he is betting on to cover the spread; this is a game in which to bet against the team one thinks will fail to cover. That is the recommended approach here: Distrust Virginia Tech more than you distrust Pittsburgh. Virginia Tech has languished in the lower tiers of the ACC in recent years more than Pitt has. Pitt won the ACC in 2021, and although the Panthers have regressed a lot, they do have more good players on defense than Virginia Tech does. On a night when both teams figure to play bad football, Tech figures to be the worse team. Pitt — being slightly favored on the road — would probably be close to a touchdown favorite at home. That is worth noticing. It does suggest that Pitt is probably not as bad as Tech.

Why Virginia Tech Could Cover the Spread

The Pitt offense has been a disaster this season. If you saw the Panthers flail and stumble repeatedly in a road night game at West Virginia a few weeks ago, you would be able to put two and two together and conclude that another road night game won't go any better. If you know how bad the Pitt offense truly is, and if you are aware how poorly that offense plays in road night games, you will realize that Virginia Tech is the right play in this game.

Final Pitt-Virginia Tech Prediction & Pick

This is definitely a game to stay away from. Neither side is trustworthy.

Final Pitt-Virginia Tech Prediction & Pick: Pitt -1.5