by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Nov 26, 2021
Game time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS
Where to watch: FS1
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: West Virginia -15.5
BetMGM: West Virginia -15.5
Caesars: West Virginia -15.5
Season record
West Virginia: 5-6 (3-5 Big 12)
Kansas: 2-9 (1-7 Big 12)
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West Virginia - Kansas preview and analysis
Last week
West Virginia: won 31-23 vs. Texas
Kansas: lost 31-28 at TCU
The West Virginia Mountaineers and Kansas Jayhawks will wrap up their regular seasons on Saturday in this matchup in Lawrence.
The Mountaineers are looking to clinch bowl eligibility for the second straight season and seventh out of the last eight. West Virginia snapped a two-game losing streak last week in a 31-23 win on Senior Day against the Texas Longhorns.
Senior quarterback Jarret Doege threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns in his last game at Milan Puskar Stadium, leading the Mountaineers offense to 459 yards and a whopping 38:36 time of possession in a game that seemed out of hand more than what the score indicated.
Even as 2-point favorites, the Mountaineers seemed to have this game in control the whole time. West Virginia has covered in three of the last five and have been underdogs in four of them.
While the Mountaineers have something to play for, it's another lowly year for the Jayhawks that at least has some promise. The season has been defined by two wins: against South Dakota in Week 1, and the overtime classic against Texas three weeks ago.
Kansas is coming off a 3-point loss to the TCU Horned Frogs, which we have yet to decipher if that's an indictment on the improvement of the Jayhawks or how bad TCU has been all year. Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, as they rallied with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to tie the game, only to lose on a field goal with 6 seconds left.
Daniels has been playing very well over the last two weeks; he had three touchdowns and 202 yards against Texas, and the offense has put up 84 points in two games. Kansas as well has covered three of the last five, with the last two being 21- and 31-point underdogs.
Prediction
West Virginia is a two-touchdown favorite and all expectation is for the Mountaineers to win this game, which they should. But to end the season at home, Kansas should give the faithful something to be excited about even if it doesn't translate to a win. Kansas keeps it close, but the Mountaineers ultimately pull away. West Virginia by 10
Betting trends
West Virginia is 1-5-1 in its last seven ATS as a road favorite.
Kansas is 1-8 ATS in last nine as a home dog.
Kansas is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 home games.
Statistical leaders
West Virginia:
Passing: Jarret Doege -- 2,738 yards, 16 TD, 10 INT
Rushing: Leddie Brown -- 909 yards, 12 TD
Receiving: Winston Wright Jr. -- 643 yards, 3 TD
Kansas:
Passing: Jason Bean -- 1,252 yards, 6 TD, 6 INT
Rushing: Devin Neal -- 707 yards, 8 TD
Receiving: Kwamie Lassiter II -- 608 yards, 3 TD
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
