by Rod Pearson
Monday, Sep 19, 2022
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, September 22, 2022
Venue: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: WVU -3, VA Tech +3; Over/Under: 53.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: WVU -3, VA Tech +3; Over/Under: 53 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: WVU -3, VA Tech +3; Over/Under: 53.5 points
Season Record
West Virginia Mountaineers: 1-2 (10th place, Big 12)
Virginia Tech Hokies: 2-1 (1st place, ACC Coastal)
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West Virginia Mountaineers: won their last game at home against the Towson Tigers 65-7.
Virginia Tech Hokies: won their last game at home against the Wofford Terriers 27-7.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs Virginia Tech Hokies Preview and Analysis
WVU is entering this game with a 1-2 record overall to start their college football season and they will be playing their 2nd road game of the season here as they are 0-1 in their road games this year. They won against the Towson Tigers in their last game at home 65-7. JT Daniels started that game at QB and he completed 16/24 passes for 174 yards and 1 touchdown. Tony Mathis led the team in rushing with 104 yards and 2 TDs on 17 rushing attempts while CJ Donaldson had 101 yards and 3 TDs on 9 carries. Cortez Braham led the team in receiving with 60 yards on 5 receptions. Wesley McCormick led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles. Davis Mallinger, Jordan Jefferson, and Dante Stills all led the defense in sacks with 1 each while no one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
VA Tech is entering this game with a 2-1 record overall to start their college football season and they will be playing their 3rd home game of the season as they are 2-0 in their home games this year. They won against the Wofford Terriers in their last game at home 27-7. Grant Wells started that game at QB and he completed 26/35 passes for 314 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jalen Holston led the team in rushing with 66 yards and 1 TD on 16 rushing attempts. Jadan Blue led the team in receiving with 61 yards and 1 TD on 4 receptions. Chamarri Conner led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles. Brion Murray, CJ McCray, and Cole Nelson all led the defense in sacks with 1 each while no one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
West Virginia vs Virginia Tech Prediction
The current betting odds have VA Tech listed as a 3 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. VA Tech hasn't looked great in their first few games as their offense hasn't been good, but they have won both of their games at home and their defense has been great. WVU hasn't won as many games as VA Tech but they haven't looked bad in their games though. They have been the complete opposite of VA Tech as their offense has been great in their games but their defense has been bad, giving up a ton of points. Their offense is going to struggle to move the ball on the road here though, and this is a game VA Tech will certainly get up for with it being a team from West Virginia. VA Tech has the better defense that will keep them in this game at home while WVU struggles to score on them and will give up the points to VA Tech with their bad defense. Defense is going to be key in this game and with VA Tech having the better defense here and being at home, they have a very good chance of upsetting WVU in this game and winning it straight up at home. The best way to place a bet here is on VA Tech to cover the spread in this game.
West Virginia Virginia Tech Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Thursday, September 22, 2022 (7:30 pm ET start time) is VA Tech 23 WVU 20.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
West Virginia Mountaineers: 13-25 ATS against ACC opponents. 25-17 UNDER after a cover as a double digit favorite. 14-5 UNDER as a road favorite of 3 points or less.
Virginia Tech Hokies: 15-9 ATS as a home underdog. 37-20 UNDER when the line is +3 to -3. 13-6 UNDER as a home underdog.
Key Injuries
West Virginia Mountaineers: C. Woods (CB) Out indefinitely - Ankle.
Virginia Tech Hokies: M. Thomas (RB) day-to-day - Ankle. B. Gosnell (TE) out for season - Knee. D. Wright (WR) out for season - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“I know and deeply care that our fans are frustrated with the start of the football season, but so are our coaches and student-athletes, who have busted their tails getting ready for the year. As athletics director, I am as disappointed as the fans, but I see how much our coaches and players care and want to win and make our fans proud. Everyone involved knows that the on-field results have not met expectations and absolutely no one is satisfied. There are 10 games left in the season and the focus is still on getting the results that we all expect.” - Shane Lyons on the job security of head coach Neal Brown.
"I'd be lying if I said it didn't. We rolled some guys through, and we talked about it in the locker room. The standard is the standard. When you go in that game, you're representing everybody. You got to preserve the shutout when you have a chance to do that, but it's a learning opportunity." - Brent Pry after his team’s win against Wofford in their last game.
Starting Lineups
West Virginia Mountaineers
WR Ford-Wheaton, Bryce
WR Prather, Kaden
WR James, Sam
WR Smith, Reese
TE Polendey, Brian
QB Daniels, JT
RB Mathis Jr., Tony
Virginia Tech Hokies
WR Smith, Kaleb
WR Gosnell, Stephen
WR Lofton, Da'Wain
TE Gallo, Nick
QB Wells, Grant
RB King, Keshawn
Statistical Leaders
West Virginia Mountaineers
Passing: J. Daniels (743)
Rushing: C. Donaldson (274)
Receiving: B. Ford-Wheaton (296)
Touchdowns: C. Donaldson (6)
Virginia Tech Hokies
Passing: G. Wells (651)
Rushing: K. King (175)
Receiving: K. Smith (131)
Touchdowns: J. Holston (2)
Coaches:
West Virginia Mountaineers: Neal Brown (4th season)
Virginia Tech Hokies: Brent Pry (1st 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.
