Here’s what the gamblers are saying:

In the eight major rivalries, the favorites went 6-2 straight up and against the spread. A day like that is normally a catastrophe for bookies, who almost always take more action on the favorites.
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BetCRIS.com was one of the first sportsbooks to release a line for the game, which they opened at West Virginia -9. Catford said they took one-sided action on the Mountaineers and had to gradually increase the pointspread to 13 points before they finally got some buy-back on Pitt.

West Virginia is still laying 13 points in the Brawl — and rightfully so. They’re the top team in the Big East and they’ve covered the spread in four straight games coming into this one.

But even with the success of the favorites over the weekend, is a two-touchdown victory too much to expect from a team in a game filled with as much emotion as this one?

“There are so many big games on a team’s schedule these days, I don’t think these rivalry games mean as much anymore,” says Covers Expert David Malinsky. “If someone thinks they have a matchup advantage here, I don’t think they should worry about the rivalry thing.”

Only one team in last weekend’s rivalry action was favored as heavily as West Virginia is on Thursday. Oregon was laying 13 1/2 points against Oregon State in the Civil War, but that game turned into the most lopsided victory of the weekend as the Ducks flew to a 42-point victory.

Pitt has flopped in some games this year and recently against WVU. I wouldn’t touch this game.

USA Today’s college football guy is picking the Hoopies.

Stakes are always high for the Backyard Brawl. This year is no different. Dave Wannstedt is trying to overcome his 1-4 start with the Panthers to become bowl-eligible. The Mountaineers have their sights set on the BCS and a possible top-10 finish in the polls. West Virginia 26, Pittsburgh 14.

This general, AP story picks the ‘Eers to win 28-13.

A Connecticut paper picks up the theme from a NJ paper bemoaning the lack of rivalry games in the Big East. Apparently they got UConn Coach Randy Edsall to discuss the subject, and show a little of his own ignorance (either that or they put words in his mouth).

Coach Randy Edsall said he hopes the league considers developing some November rivalries in the same fashion that a conference like the Big Ten promotes rivalries like Penn State-Michigan State or Ohio State-Michigan.

“I think it will make the conference a little better if you had teams play games like those late in the year,” Edsall said. “You have West Virginia and Pitt finishing off the last game of the year every year. That is the best thing to do.”

Edsall said that from a logistical standpoint, having Cincinnati and Louisville play each other would seem like a natural fit. And while that would leave three Northeast teams and South Florida, he thinks it would make sense to have Syracuse play South Florida. He reasoned that the Carrier Dome could nullify the weather differences between the two schools.

That would leave UConn playing Rutgers. While the players believe it could take some time to build a rivalry between the two teams, they like the idea.

Cinci and Louisville already have a rivalry game with each other. With a trophy that has a great name: The Keg of Nails. Penn State-Michigan State is not a rivalry game no matter how hard it is spun. No one is buying it.