The battle of the Virginias is here, as we go through our West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech prediction. With sports betting taking over college football, and with college fantasy football on the rise, here is everything you need to know about current betting odds, DFS picks, and fantasy football players to target in the West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech matchup.
West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech betting preview
- Spread: West Virginia (-2.5)
- Moneyline: West Virginia (-130); Virginia Tech (+110)
- Over/Under: 52 points
- Game time: Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022 @ 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, Virginia
- Predicted weather at kick: 70 degrees, partly cloudy, 10-12 mph winds
West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech prediction
The Virginia Tech Hokies enter this anticipated clash a bit banged up and on the receiving end of some harsh criticism stemming from head coach Brent Pry’s first few games at the helm. After losing their second consecutive game at Old Dominion, the Hokies rebounded nicely with a win against ACC foe Boston College but needed four quarters of action to hold off Wofford after an 11 a.m. ET kickoff last week.
West Virginia, on the other hand, needed just a single quarter to rest their players against Towson, cruising to a 65-7 victory a week prior. This win was much-needed, however, after the team fell to 0-2 with a close loss to Pittsburgh and an overtime loss to Kansas to start the year. Still, the Mountaineers have kept each of their Power-5 opponents close and were a dropped pass away from icing it against Pitt in the Backyard Brawl.
[bet-promo id=”174860″ ]Stylistically, this matchup is an intriguing one for both fans and bettors. WVU has Graham Harrell calling the shots, and he has seemingly been able to call plays to maximize his current roster, adjusting his offense accordingly. JT Daniels is barely averaging seven yards per pass, but the rushing attack has gashed defenses for well over six yards per carry and 10 touchdowns this season.
For Tech, the team’s defense is predicated on stopping the run with their 4-3 defensive front and a star-studded cast of linebackers. And through three games so far, they’ve been incredibly stingy against opposing ball carriers. The Hokies are third nationally in terms of rushing yards allowed per game (42.0) while still maintaining the 15th-best pass defense by yards per game. Their athletic front should give West Virginia fits all game long.
Defensive backs Dorian Strong and Armani Chatman will need to be at the top of their games against WVU’s talented wideouts, but the safety duo of Chamarri Conner and Nasir Peoples have more than enough juice to cover ground in relief.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 24, West Virginia 21
Top DFS picks and fantasy plays
With your DFS lineup in need of some serious juice during a three-game Thursday night slate (and only two games eligible for DFS), both quarterbacks are always in play. But before we go any further, it’s important to look at their current values on FanDuel.
- QB JT Daniels, West Virginia: $10,000
- QB Grant Wells, Virginia Tech: $8,600
- RB CJ Donaldson, West Virginia: $8,300
- RB Tony Mathis Jr., West Virginia: $7,900
- RB Keshawn King, Virginia Tech: $7,600
- RB Jalen Holston, Virginia Tech: $6,500
- RB Chance Black, Virginia Tech: $5,400
- WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia: $10,500
- WR Sam James, West Virginia: $7,600
- WR Kaleb Smith, Virginia Tech: $7,000
- WR Da’Wain Lofton, Virginia Tech: $5,800
- WR Jadan Blue, Virginia Tech: $5,600
- WR Kaden Prather, West Virginia: $5,600
- TE Nick Gallo, Virginia Tech: $6,000
- TE Brian Polendey, West Virginia: $4,900
With a two-game slate of action on Thursday, both quarterbacks should be looked at as potential starters. However, be wary of WVU skill players, as the Tech defense been more than capable of carrying the Hokies to victory. If you are going to pay a premium for any one player, the easiest answer is Bryce Ford-Wheaton who has been targeted 37 times (12.3 targets per game) this season.
Next up would be CJ Donaldson. The big man can move. Listed as a tight end on WVU’s roster, he currently leads the Mountaineers in rushing yards despite seeing 20 fewer carries than Tony Mathis Jr. His massive average of 9.4 yards per carry is only outweighed by the fact that he’s averaging two touchdowns per game. If anyone scores for WVU on Thursday, it’s likely going to be Donaldson.