by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Nov 05, 2026
Game Time: 9:30 pm ET, Saturday, November 7, 2026
Venue: Galaxy Stadium, Lubbock, TX
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: WVU +17.5, TTU -17.5; Over/Under: 65.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: WVU +17, TTU -17; Over/Under: 65.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: WVU +17, TTU -17; Over/Under: 65.5 points
Season Record
West Virginia Mountaineers: 5-3 (2-3) (8th place, Big 12)
Texas Tech Red Raiders: 7-1 (4-1) (3rd place, Big 12)
Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Matt Fargo is on a HOT STREAK in college football on a 12-0 CFB RUN for +$12,000 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.
Recent Form
West Virginia Mountaineers: won their last game on the road against the TCU Horned Frogs 24-20.
Texas Tech Red Raiders: won their last game at home against the Arizona Wildcats 34-26.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs Texas Tech Red Raiders Preview and Analysis
West Virginia is entering this game with a 5-3 record overall and they have a 2-3 record in their conference games too. They are 3-2 in their home games, 1-1 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against TCU 24-20. Michael Hawkins Jr. was the starting QB and he completed 7/15 passes for 79 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Cam Cook led the team in rushing yards with 90. Prince Strachan led the receivers with 24 receiving yards on 2 receptions. Geimere Latimer II led the defense in that game with 12 tackles while Geimere Latimer II, Nate Gabriel, and Isaiah Patterson each led the defense in sacks with 1. Chams Diagne came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Texas Tech is entering this game with a 7-1 record overall and they have a 4-1 record in their conference games too. They are 5-0 in their home games, 2-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Arizona 34-26. Thomas Castellanos was the starting QB and he completed 11/24 passes for 144 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. J'Koby Williams led the team in rushing yards with 175 and 1 TD. Kenny Johnson led the receivers with 49 receiving yards on 4 receptions and 1 TD. Austin Romaine led the defense in that game with 14 tackles while Trey White, John Curry, Anthony Holmes Jr., and LaDamion Guyton each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
West Virginia vs Texas Tech Prediction
The current betting odds have Texas Tech listed as a 17.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Texas Tech has looked great in their games this season with their 7-1 record overall and their 4-1 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They have looked great on their home field too with their 5-0 home record this season. Meanwhile, West Virginia has looked good in their games this season with their 5-3 record overall, but their 2-3 conference record has them in the bottom half of the Big 12. They haven't been a great road team either with their 1-1 road record this year. West Virginia is coming out of their bye week after beating TCU 24-20 on the road in their last one, but TCU hasn't been a great team this season and West Virginia has had some really bad games. They have one of the worst defenses in the Big 12 with the number of points that they have been giving up and they don't have the talent to keep up with Texas Tech. Texas Tech is the defending champion of the conference from last season and they still look like one of the best teams in the Big 12. They had a big slip up on the road against Cincinnati and they looked like they were about to lose 2 in a row last week, but they dug deep in that game against Arizona and found a way to win it 34-26. Their offense hasn't looked great at times, but they do have a lot of talent on offense that can put up points when they need it, and the defense hasn't looked bad this season either. Even coming out of the bye week, West Virginia won't be prepared to stop this Texas Tech offense at home and they will have trouble moving the ball once they fall behind by enough. The best way to place a bet here is on Texas Tech to cover the spread in this game.
West Virginia Texas Tech Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, November 7, 2026 (9:30 pm ET start time) is Texas Tech 41 West Virginia 17.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this West Virginia Mountaineers Texas Tech Red Raiders prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
West Virginia Mountaineers: 2-5 ATS off an upset win as an underdog. 5-9 ATS vs. good offensive teams - scoring 31 or more points/game. 23-31 ATS when the total is greater than or equal to 63. 8-3 OVER as a road underdog. 12-5 OVER when playing against a team with a winning record.
Texas Tech Red Raiders: 22-9 ATS against FBS division opponents. 13-4 ATS as a home favorite. 12-3 ATS vs. good offensive teams - scoring 31 or more points/game. 13-5 OVER as a home favorite. 6-3 OVER off a home win against a conference rival.
Key Injuries
West Virginia Mountaineers: C. Talley (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Autry (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Ball (TE) Out - Undisclosed. A. Devine (RB) Out - Undisclosed. M. Boswell (RB) Out - Undisclosed.
Texas Tech Red Raiders: D. Lee Jr. (WR) Out - Knee. J. Jones (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Dickey (RB) Out - Ankle.
Notable Quotes
“Any win’s a big win, and a win on the road is especially big.” - Rich Rod after his team’s win against TCU in their last game.
“He gave us juice today. It was great leadership from him. He plays with confidence. He’s played a lot of football. That’s what you saw, a very experienced quarterback out there today, and made some really good plays. I thought he played really well, and we've just got to build on it.” - Joey McGuire after his team’s win against Arizona in their last game.
Starting Lineups
West Virginia Mountaineers
WR Bray, Jaden
WR Neider, John
WR Epps, DJ
TE Sapp, Josh
QB Hawkins Jr., Michael
RB Cook, Cam
Texas Tech Red Raiders
WR Johnson, Kenny
WR Hudson, Micah
WR Eakin, Coy
TE Carter Jr., Terrance
QB Hammond, Will
RB Williams, J'Koby
Statistical Leaders
West Virginia Mountaineers
Passing: Michael Hawkins Jr. (1,598)
Rushing: Cam Cook (923)
Receiving: DJ Epps (556)
Touchdowns: Michael Hawkins Jr. (16)
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Passing: Will Hammond (1,561)
Rushing: J'Koby Williams (794)
Receiving: Kenny Johnson (548)
Touchdowns: J'Koby Williams (6)
Coaches:
West Virginia Mountaineers: Rich Rodriguez (2nd season)
Texas Tech Red Raiders: Joey McGuire (5th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
