NCAAF Odds: Mountaineers at Thundering Herd
College football bettors are firmly on the side of the Mountaineers when they travel to face Marshall on Friday in the Coal Bowl. West Virginia enters off a 31-0 whitewashing of Coastal Carolina in last week's tune-up, with Noel Devine rushing for over 100 yards and a score. The Thundering Herd got run over by Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State, 45-7. ESPN has the broadcast from Edwards Stadium starting at 7 p.m. ET.
College football bettors are pounding No. 23 West Virginia for its matchup on Friday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the so-called Coal Bowl against Marshall at Edwards Stadium in Huntington.
One look at the spread tells you all you need to know about the reasoning behind the betting public’s decision to back the Mountaineers (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) at a near-80% clip for Friday night’s contest.
West Virginia opened as a 13-point road favorite on the college football betting odds board against Marshall, but it’s now at -13½ after a flood of action poured in on it.
Given the disparity between the teams involved, a spread of less than two touchdowns is a little low. The Thundering Herd did cover as 20-point underdogs in a 24-7 loss to the Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field last September, but this is a better West Virginia team.
Home field doesn’t justify a seven-point swing in the spread in favor of Marshall, especially after how it performed last week against Ohio State.
Herd head coach and former Mountaineers assistant Doc Holliday might have the best name in college sports, but he runs one of the worst defenses in college pigskin. Marshall was outgained 529-199 in its 45-7 loss to the Buckeyes (-28) at the Horseshoe last Saturday, as it allowed 280 yards on the ground to Terrelle Pryor and company.
That doesn’t bode well with West Virginia’s Noel Devine coming to Huntington on Friday night. Devine ran for 111 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown in the Mountaineers’ 31-0 shutout of Division II Coastal Carolina (+41½) last Saturday, and is one of the best backs in the country.
Granted the Herd were playing at Ohio State, but their offense was awful last week as well. Brian Anderson went a respectable 17-of-28 for 135 yards with an interception for Marshall, but the offense failed to score a TD. The Herd’s only points came on Ahmed Shakoor’s 61-yard blocked field goal return.
Don’t expect Marshall to put up much against WVU, either. The Mountaineers earned their first shutout since 2005 last week, and have the best defense in the Big East.
In addition to Devine’s solid play, quarterback Geno Smith was steady in the opener. Smith was 20-of-27 for 216 yards with two touchdowns and a pick last Saturday.
If there’s a saving grace for Herd backers it’s that they held their own in last year’s meeting. Marshall led 7-3 at the half in last year’s Coal Bowl, and ended the game with a 16-13 edge in first downs.
Holliday’s presence on the sideline should make a difference, too. Doc was Stewart’s top assistant coach just last season, so he knows a few of the tricks the Mountaineers are going to employ on Friday night. Whether he has the horses (some of which were originally committed to WVU before Holliday took them with him) to execute the game plan is another story.
West Virginia outgained Marshall 313-207 in last year’s affair, as Devine finished with 103 yards on the ground on 19 touches with two TDs. Smith was 15-of-21 for 147 yards with a score, while Anderson went 17-of-35 for 149 yards and two INTs. Anderson did post a rushing TD for the Herd’s only score of the game.
The last time the schools met in Huntington, it was a high-scoring 48-23 victory for the Mountaineers, but the Herd cashed as 25.5-point pups. Combined with Marshall's ATS win in last year’s tilt, the teams have split the four annual meetings since 2006 – all SU victories for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers played ‘over’ the 27-point college football total against Coastal Carolina last week, and they’ll face the same number again on Friday night. I’d bet on the game playing slightly ‘over’ the total, but given the way West Virginia’s defense performed last week along with the state of Marshall’s offense, an ‘under’ wouldn’t surprise me. Dating back to last season, the Herd are 3-9 O/U in their last 12 games.
On the injury front, linebacker Pat Lazear (undisclosed) and tight end Tyler Urban (knee) are questionable for the Mountaineers.
College football bettors are firmly on the side of the Mountaineers when they travel to face Marshall on Friday in the Coal Bowl. West Virginia enters off a 31-0 whitewashing of Coastal Carolina in last week's tune-up, with Noel Devine rushing for over 100 yards and a score. The Thundering Herd got run over by Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State, 45-7. ESPN has the broadcast from Edwards Stadium starting at 7 p.m. ET.
College football bettors are pounding No. 23 West Virginia for its matchup on Friday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the so-called Coal Bowl against Marshall at Edwards Stadium in Huntington.
One look at the spread tells you all you need to know about the reasoning behind the betting public’s decision to back the Mountaineers (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) at a near-80% clip for Friday night’s contest.
West Virginia opened as a 13-point road favorite on the college football betting odds board against Marshall, but it’s now at -13½ after a flood of action poured in on it.
Given the disparity between the teams involved, a spread of less than two touchdowns is a little low. The Thundering Herd did cover as 20-point underdogs in a 24-7 loss to the Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field last September, but this is a better West Virginia team.
Home field doesn’t justify a seven-point swing in the spread in favor of Marshall, especially after how it performed last week against Ohio State.
Herd head coach and former Mountaineers assistant Doc Holliday might have the best name in college sports, but he runs one of the worst defenses in college pigskin. Marshall was outgained 529-199 in its 45-7 loss to the Buckeyes (-28) at the Horseshoe last Saturday, as it allowed 280 yards on the ground to Terrelle Pryor and company.
That doesn’t bode well with West Virginia’s Noel Devine coming to Huntington on Friday night. Devine ran for 111 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown in the Mountaineers’ 31-0 shutout of Division II Coastal Carolina (+41½) last Saturday, and is one of the best backs in the country.
Granted the Herd were playing at Ohio State, but their offense was awful last week as well. Brian Anderson went a respectable 17-of-28 for 135 yards with an interception for Marshall, but the offense failed to score a TD. The Herd’s only points came on Ahmed Shakoor’s 61-yard blocked field goal return.
Don’t expect Marshall to put up much against WVU, either. The Mountaineers earned their first shutout since 2005 last week, and have the best defense in the Big East.
In addition to Devine’s solid play, quarterback Geno Smith was steady in the opener. Smith was 20-of-27 for 216 yards with two touchdowns and a pick last Saturday.
If there’s a saving grace for Herd backers it’s that they held their own in last year’s meeting. Marshall led 7-3 at the half in last year’s Coal Bowl, and ended the game with a 16-13 edge in first downs.
Holliday’s presence on the sideline should make a difference, too. Doc was Stewart’s top assistant coach just last season, so he knows a few of the tricks the Mountaineers are going to employ on Friday night. Whether he has the horses (some of which were originally committed to WVU before Holliday took them with him) to execute the game plan is another story.
West Virginia outgained Marshall 313-207 in last year’s affair, as Devine finished with 103 yards on the ground on 19 touches with two TDs. Smith was 15-of-21 for 147 yards with a score, while Anderson went 17-of-35 for 149 yards and two INTs. Anderson did post a rushing TD for the Herd’s only score of the game.
The last time the schools met in Huntington, it was a high-scoring 48-23 victory for the Mountaineers, but the Herd cashed as 25.5-point pups. Combined with Marshall's ATS win in last year’s tilt, the teams have split the four annual meetings since 2006 – all SU victories for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers played ‘over’ the 27-point college football total against Coastal Carolina last week, and they’ll face the same number again on Friday night. I’d bet on the game playing slightly ‘over’ the total, but given the way West Virginia’s defense performed last week along with the state of Marshall’s offense, an ‘under’ wouldn’t surprise me. Dating back to last season, the Herd are 3-9 O/U in their last 12 games.
On the injury front, linebacker Pat Lazear (undisclosed) and tight end Tyler Urban (knee) are questionable for the Mountaineers.