West Virginia will travel to Lane Stadium for a matchup against Virginia Tech on Thursday. Both of these teams have flashed upside at points in the season, although they’ve each struggled at times as well.
West Virginia’s only win came as a blowout against Towson in a cupcake matchup. They’ve lost two difficult matchups against Pittsburgh and Kansas. Virginia Tech owns wins over Boston College and Wofford, although they lost to Old Dominion. These are two inconsistent teams that have the ability to win in this close matchup.
In this article, I’ll break down the odds for this game, and you’ll find my favorite West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech predictions.
West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | -2.5 (-110) | -130 | O 52 (-110) |
| @ Virginia Tech | +2.5 (-110) | +110 | U 52 (-110) |
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2 p.m. ET on Sept. 20.
Game Info
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 22
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Lane Stadium – Blacksburg, VA
- TV: ESPN
West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech Trends
Let’s take a look at some relevant betting trends for the West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech game:
- West Virginia boasts a 2-1 ATS record this season.
- Virginia Tech posted a 1-2 ATS record thus far in 2022.
- As of Tuesday afternoon, 74% of the bets and 68% of the handle were on West Virginia -2.5 spread.
- DraftKings also reports that 69% of the bets and 62% of the handle is on over 52 points.
- West Virginia owns a 3-0 over/under record in 2022.
- Virginia Tech’s recorded an 0-3 over/under record this season.
Fast Pace Of Play
The pace of this game is going to be something that stands out. Although these aren’t the two fastest-paced teams in the entire NCAA, they both will play at a faster pace than most. West Virginia currently ranks 32nd in the country in plays per game (77), while Virginia Tech ranks 45th in the same category (74).
The pace of play is one key that could fix bad offenses or beat good defenses. The more plays in a game, the more likely teams will score. They’ll have more opportunities, and both of these teams have the ability to find some offensive success.
West Virginia currently ranks 37th in the NCAA in points per play (.474). Virginia Tech hasn’t been nearly as successful, ranking 96th in that category (.297).
Don't let the WVU team's struggles distract you from the fact Bryce Ford-Wheaton is having one of the best seasons for a wide receiver in the country. He has put in the work and really stepped his game up.
— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) September 17, 2022
The Mountaineers are a team that can find success on a per-play basis because of the big play ability of players like Bryce Ford-Wheaton. Sam James and CJ Donaldson are two more big-play threats in their offense.
Virginia Tech doesn’t have quite the same big-play ability as West Virginia. The Hokies will benefit offensively from the pace of this game, though. They flashed offensive potential against Boston College, and we could see similar potential in this game.
Red Zone Efficiency
Both of these teams have found offensive success in the red zone this season. On the other side, they’ve both struggled with their red zone defenses in 2022.
West Virginia ranks 41st in red zone scoring percentage (90.9%) this season. This means they’ve scored a field goal or touchdown on slightly over 90% of their red zone possessions thus far. Virginia Tech hasn’t found quite as much success, ranking 62nd in the country in red zone percentage (85.7%). Although it isn’t quite as good, this is still an above-average rate.
.@GrantWells__ ↗️ @Bryceduke22
Now that's a dime on the wheel route 🎯 @HokiesFB pic.twitter.com/EcI2HkWQgK
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 17, 2022
Most importantly, both of these teams have allowed a 100% red zone scoring rate on defense. Neither of these teams has stopped their opponents from scoring once they’ve gotten into the red zone.
It’s important to note that even though Virginia Tech struggles once teams get into the red zone, they aren’t allowing many teams to get that deep. They’re allowing only 2.5 red zone attempts per game compared to the 4.5 that West Virginia is allowing.
Both teams will struggle if their opponents get that deep.
West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech Predictions
This is an interesting game, and it’s going to turn into whichever team can impose their will early on. If West Virginia takes over this game, it will be an extremely high-scoring contest. If Virginia Tech is able to take over the game, it will be a more defensive battle.
I’m expecting West Virginia to control the pace and the scoring with their big-play ability. I don’t believe Virginia Tech’s defense will slow them down. I also don’t believe they will slow down the Hokies’ offense. This game should feature plenty of scoring, and the total is a bit low at the moment.
Pick: Over 52 total points | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook
