58°F
weather icon Windy
Las Vegas, NV
Betting

Home underdog West Virginia in prime position to cover

West Virginia quarterback Will Grier (7) drops back against Baylor in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerry Larson)
Texas head coach Tom Herman, left, talks with Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, right, before the start of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, center, walks with his players during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Texas, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in Austin, Texas. Oklahoma State won 13-10 in overtime. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)
Baylor defensive tackle James Lynch (93) sacks West Virginia quarterback Will Grier (7) in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerry Larson)
West Virginia quarterback Will Grier (7) drops back against Baylor in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerry Larson)
West Virginia quarterback Will Grier (7) points after throwing a touchdown pass against Baylor during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in Waco, Texas. West Virginia won 38-36(AP Photo/Jerry Larson)
FILE - In this Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, file photo, West Virginia quarterback Will Grier (7) scrambles to avoid a Texas Tech defensive lineman Eli Howard (53) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Morgantown, W.Va. Grier, in his first season starting for the 22nd-ranked Mountaineers, has thrown for 352 yards per game with only five interceptions. (AP Photo/Raymond Thompson, File)
More Stories
Boxer Canelo Alvarez explains how he will defeat opponent Jaime Munguia and his opinion of prom ...
Bettors love underdog in Canelo-Munguia ‘full-out Mexican war’
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday ...
What are the best NFL futures bets to make right now?
Kentucky Derby handicapping: Fierceness is dominant but an enigma
Rich Strike, with Sonny Leon aboard, wins the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at ...
The 5 biggest long-shot winners in Kentucky Derby history
By Brian Edwards Special to the Review-Journal
October 27, 2017 - 5:52 pm
 

I made Oklahoma State a 2½-point favorite over West Virginia, which is getting 7½ points at home. From a situational standpoint, everything favors the Mountaineers.

Not only is Mike Gundy’s team playing on the road for a second straight week, but it also had to go to overtime to nip Texas 13-10 last week. And Oklahoma State’s biggest game annually — vs. Oklahoma — is next week, placing the Cowboys in a look-ahead spot.

Oklahoma State is dealing with injuries on its offensive line, too, and that’s why its usually explosive offense was limited to 13 points against the Longhorns.

The Cowboys are 1-4-2 against the spread in their past seven games as a Big 12 road favorite. West Virginia is 3-0 straight up and ATS at home this season and has won 15 of its past 17 home games overall.

The Mountaineers are ranked fourth in the nation in scoring (43.3 points per game) behind quarterback Will Grier, who has been sensational in throwing for 26 touchdowns and only five interceptions.

West Virginia getting more than seven points is a no-brainer.

Four more plays (home team in CAPS):

North Carolina State (+7½) over NOTRE DAME: The Wolfpack have won six in a row, including four wins by at least 14 points and outright upsets of Florida State and Louisville. Notre Dame was sky high for last week’s win over Southern California, while N.C. State used its open date to prepare for the Fighting Irish. Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley has thrown for 11 TDs without an interception. Notre Dame’s offense is all about stud running back Josh Adams, but N.C. State is ranked sixth nationally in run defense.

Appalachian State (-4) over MASSACHUSETTS: Appalachian State has a few key injuries, and that’s why this line is so low. Most important, Mountaineers senior quarterback Taylor Lamb is healthy and has thrown for 13 TDs and only three interceptions. Appalachian State has won five of its past six games since losing its opener at Georgia, with the other loss a 20-19 home setback to Wake Forest. The Minutemen are 1-6 straight up this season and 1-6 ATS in their past seven games as a home underdog.

SOUTH CAROLINA (-6½) over Vanderbilt: I made South Carolina a 10½-point favorite. The Gamecocks won and covered at Tennessee before their open date without three starting offensive linemen who are all probable for this game. That will make life easier for quarterback Jake Bentley, who has five TD passes without an interception in his past three games. The Commodores have lost four in a row straight up and ATS by at least 14 points apiece.

Florida (+14) over Georgia: The Gators haven’t lost by more than 12 points to the Bulldogs since 1997. Several key starters are expected to return from injuries for Florida, which is 2-1 ATS as double-digit underdogs under Jim McElwain. The Gators’ defense will keep them in the game, and their pedestrian offense will find a way to produce enough points to cover the spread. Florida has beaten Georgia three straight times by double-digit margins and has won 21 of the past 27 meetings.

Last week: 3-2 against the spread

Season: 26-15-1

Brian Edwards of VegasInsider.com and BrianEdwardsSports.com is providing college football analysis for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Follow @vegasbedwards on Twitter.

THE LATEST