Free NCAA Football Prediction: Hokies vs. Mountaineers Odds
Looking for Virginia Tech Hokies vs. West Virginia Mountaineers free picks? College football betting sees the Hokies taking on the Mountaineers on September 11, 2021, at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football game Week 3 predictions like this Hokies Mountaineers free pick.
College Football Handicapping Analysis: Week 3
#15 Virginia Tech Hokies (2-0) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (1-1)
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Time: 12:00 pm EST
Venue: Milan Puskar Stadium, Madison, WI
NCAA Football ATS Spread Odds: West Virginia -2.5
NCAA Football Moneyline Odds: Virginia Tech +110 / West Virginia -130
NCAA Betting Total Odds: 50
Virginia Tech is undefeated and ranked in the top 25 (#15) but still find themselves a +2.5 underdog when they go on the road to Morgantown on Saturday afternoon. The Hokies resume is impressive too, beating then #10 North Carolina in the season opener.
West Virginia had a tough road matchup with an improving Maryland squad in week 1, and they fell 30-24. WVU has won 18 straight nonconference games at home, but that feat will be tested against the Hokies.
Virginia Tech Hokies
We don’t know much about the Virginia Tech defense following their 35-14 win over Middle Tennessee State last week, but this was a unit that was very impressive in week 1 against North Carolina. The Tar Heels have a Heisman candidate in Sam Howell who threw for 27 TDs and 6 INT a year ago, but VT picked him off three times in the opener.
VT needs the defensive bounce back, because they gave up 32.1 ppg last season, and were the third worst team in the ACC against the pass (266). Holding UNC’s Howell to 208 yards in week 1 may point to a much improved Hokies secondary – or it could just be an anomaly due to being the first game of the year.
Last year’s starting QB Herndon Hooker has transferred to Tennessee, so surviving with wins through the first two weeks is a feat. Braxton Burmeister did play in six games a year ago, and he’s done what he’s been asked to in ’21, not yet throwing for over 170 yards in a game.
Burmeister is also the Hokies leading rusher through two games with just 94 yards. This was the #1 running team in the ACC last year (240.1 yards/game) but lost a huge hunk of that in Khalil Herbert (1182 yards) off to the NFL and Hooker (620 yards) graduating.
West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia gave up a 332 yard, 3 TD passing performance against Tua Tagovailoa in the season opener which was their downfall in a 30-24 loss. Tayon Fleet-Davis also ran for 123 yards for Maryland so it was an all around bad start to 2021 for the WVU defense.
Last week didn’t prove anything for WVU, as they were 50-point favorites against the Long Island Sharks, and came through in holding LIU to 25 yards rushing and 60 passing.
If Sam Howell couldn’t get things going for North Carolina vs. the Virginia Tech defense, how is the Mountaineers’ Jarret Doege going to fare on Saturday? Doege threw 2 picks against Maryland, and has completed a decent 61% of his passes despite being 14/22 against LIU.
The good news for WVU is that they have a solid RB to fall back on in Leddie Brown, who already has 4 TD runs this season. Brown had 9 scores in 9 games last season, and at the very least he provides more offensive diversity that VT has in this game.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- Hokies are 7-2 ATS last 9 as an underdog
- Hokies are 2-5 ATS last 7 non-conference games
- Hokies are 1-6 ATS last 7 road games
- Mountaineers are 6-0-1 ATS last 7 home games
- Mountaineers are 1-5 ATS last 6 vs. ACC
- Mountaineers are 2-5 ATS last 7 head to head games
Free Week 3 NCAA Football Pick
The betting public seems like they will be split about 50/50 on this one. On one hand VT is ranked and getting points, on the other the Hokies are also making their first road trek of the season in a very tough to play in Morgantown.
4* Free Week 3 NCAA Betting Pick: Mountaineers -2.5
There’s got to be some reason why WVU is favored in this one against a ranked team, and although the VT defense shut down UNC in the opener that was also at home. The Virginia Tech defense will likely do just fine here, it’s their offense that you should worry about.
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