The Pittsburgh Panthers take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in Week 7 of the 2021 CFB season, so we’ve prepared the best betting pick for this Atlantic Coast Conference showdown at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia. 

Saturday’s card is full of intriguing markets, and the Panthers head to Blacksburg as 4.5-point favorites on BetUs Sportsbook. The Hokies are +170 moneyline home dogs, while the totals are listed at 57.5 points.

The Panthers continue to score at will 

The Pittsburgh Panthers improved to 4-1 straight up and ATS on the season following a 52-21 victory at the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Week 5. It was another dominant performance from the Panthers’ offense that is leading the nation with 52.4 points per game.

Pittsburgh racked up 580 total yards against the Yellow Jackets. Sophomore RB Israel Abanikanda had 15 totes for 60 yards and a couple of scores, while senior QB Kenny Pickett went 23-of-36 for 389 yards and four touchdowns.

Pickett is enjoying a wonderful season, tossing for 1,731 yards, 19 touchdowns, and an interception. He owns the best quarterback rating in the country (90.2). Sophomore wideout Jordan Addison has already recorded 29 catches for 524 yards and nine touchdowns, while senior TE Lucas Krull has added 15 receptions for 193 yards and five scores.

The Hokies fell short in Week 6

The Virginia Tech Hokies are coming off a tough 32-29 home loss to the No. 14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish this past Saturday. They were listed as slight 1-point favorites, so the Hokies dropped to 3-2 straight up and 2-3 ATS on the season.

Virginia Tech blew an eight-point lead with just three minutes and 55 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Junior QB Braxton Burmeister had ten carries for 49 yards and a TD but completed only 15 of his 30 passing attempts for 184 yards and tossed a costly pick.

Through his first five appearances in 2021, Burmeister has completed 58.8 percent of his passing attempts for 930 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Hokies are tallying just 24.6 points per contest (93rd in the country), averaging 138.8 rushing yards (88th). They are yielding 18.6 points in a return (tied-24th) on 143.6 rushing yards (62nd) and 196.4 passing yards per game (35th).

Trends:

Pittsburgh:

  • 5-1 ATS in the last six games overall
  • 12-2 ATS in the last 14 games against Virginia Tech 
  • 4-1 ATS in the last five games against the ACC

Virginia Tech:

  • 3-7 ATS in the last ten games overall
  • 1-4 ATS in the last five games played in Week 7

Pittsburgh vs. Virginia Tech Pick

The Panthers are coming off a bye which is the main reason why I’m backing them to win and cover. Pittsburgh had two weeks to rest and prepare for this tough Virginia Tech team. The Hokies have a solid pass D that should cause some problems and keep them close against Pittsburgh’s prolific offense.

However, the hosts will have to lean on their passing game to get some points, as Pittsburgh surrenders only 3.0 yards per carry (tied-15th in the country). This will be a proper test for Kenny Pickett and the Panthers, but I think their offense will make the difference.

Pick: Take Pittsburgh Panthers -4.5 at -110        

The Total:

While the under has hit in six of Virginia Tech’s last seven contests overall, the total has gone over in 12 of the Panthers’ previous 13 outings at any location, including all five in 2021.

The Hokies will have enough firepower to slow down the Panthers’ passing offense, but the visitors can lean on their rushing as well. On the other side, the hosts will have to take full advantage of Pittsburgh’s fragile secondary if they want to pull off an upset.

Pick: Go over 57.5 points at -110