Old Dominion vs. Virginia Odds
| Old Dominion Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 52.5 -114o / -106u | +250 |
| Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 52.5 -114o / -106u | -315 |
The Old Dominion Monarchs will head to Charlottesville looking to bounce back after losing, 39-21, to ECU last week.
The game was nowhere near as lopsided as the final score may reflect. Old Dominion entered the fourth quarter trailing by eight, but proceeded to give up 17 unanswered points to the Pirates.
Virginia may be struggling on offense this season, but the Cavaliers are still a formidable challenge for this Monarchs team. The Cavaliers gave up 394 total yards to Illinois last week and turned the ball over three times in an embarrassing, 24-3, loss.
That's not an ideal start for first-year head coach Tony Elliott.
In addition to the bad loss, coach Elliott announced Tuesday that sophomore Mike Green — who stood out last year as a true freshman linebacker — is no longer active with the team for undisclosed reasons.
This comes after injuries to corner Darrius Bratton — who did not play against Illinois — and punter Daniel Sparks — who averaged 46.2 yards per punt before leaving the game against Illinois.
Both are questionable for this week's matchup against Old Dominion.
Saturday will mark just the second time these two have met, the first coming in 2019 when the Monarchs fell, 28-17, to Virginia in Charlottesville.
Outside of the fourth quarter and eventual loss to ECU, this Monarchs team has been firing on all cylinders since the season began.
Can they keep it up against Virginia? Or will the Cavaliers get back on track before they begin ACC play?
Old Dominion Monarchs
There were some serious questions about the Old Dominion offense coming into the season, primarily because the Monarchs' offensive coordinator resigned less than a month before the season started.
Hayden Wolff, who is completing 50% of his passes so far this season, leads the Monarchs' offense.
However, the real star of the offense is receiver Ali Jennings III, who leads the Sun Belt in receiving yards and is averaging an insane 24.8 yards per catch.
Virginia's defense has been great in limiting Explosiveness and Defensive Finishing Drives. However, the Cavaliers' first game was against Richmond and was followed by Illinois, a run-heavy offense that was still able to accumulate 196 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.
Defensively, the Monarchs returned a ton of production from last season, including their top six tacklers.
Linebacker Jason Henderson was one of the most productive players to return, and he has an absolute force so far, recording double-digit tackles in each of his first two games. Against Virginia Tech, he recorded an astounding 18 tackles, the most by any FBS tackler this year.
Did I mention he also blocks kicks? Henderson stopped an extra point last week against ECU, which was the second of his career and the eighth blocked punt or kick for Old Dominion in the previous two seasons.
Virginia Cavaliers
Signal caller Brennan Armstrong had one of the worst games of his five-year career on Saturday against Illinois.
The Cavaliers' offensive line is inexperienced, and just one lineman received a PFF grade above 57.
Old Dominion doesn't exactly have a premier defensive line, but even the Richmond Spiders were able to record one sack and force two turnovers against the Cavaliers. The Illini's ability to pressure Armstrong was a significant factor in his performance.
Defensively, the Cavaliers have some playmakers and had an excellent game against the Illini, specifically when it came to forcing turnovers. Virginia recovered three fumbles and nabbed an interception. Unfortunately, the offense produced just one field goal from the four turnovers.
Old Dominion vs. Virginia Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Old Dominion and Virginia match up statistically:
Old Dominion Offense vs. Virginia Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 121 | 100 | |
| Line Yards | 125 | 112 | |
| Pass Success | 123 | 72 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 126 | 17 | |
| Havoc | — | 114 |  |
| Finishing Drives | 99 | 43 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Virginia Offense vs. Old Dominion Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 38 | 130 | |
| Line Yards | 18 | 58 | |
| Pass Success | 110 | 59 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 129 | 34 | |
| Havoc | 96 | — | |
| Finishing Drives | 119 | 10 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 66 | 50 |
| PFF Coverage | 46 | 4 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 66 | 103 |
| Seconds per Play | 24.7 (36) | 25.3 (50) |
| Rush Rate | 42.3% (109) | 50.7% (70) |
Data via CollegeFootballData.com (CFBD), FootballOutsiders, SP+, Pro Football Focus and SportSource Analytics.
Old Dominion vs. Virginia Betting Pick
It's hard to ignore the opposite directions in which these teams have started the season.
If Old Dominion finds success in the passing game and can get pressure on the quarterback, it can win this game outright. Old Dominion has had some issues of its own, but it's nothing compared to the laundry list of concerns for the Cavaliers.
Speaking of things hard to ignore, you can't look past an underdog of more than a touchdown that literally has a dog as its new mascot. Say hello to Hudson, who sources confirm, does, in fact, have that dog in him.
Hey everybody, it's almost the weekend! 🎉@lamareon_james and I want to hear how you are planning your weekend!
Hint: The RIGHT answer is cheering on @ODUFootball 🏈🐾 #ReignOnpic.twitter.com/DWYscw3W9Z
— Hudson ODU (@HudsonODU) September 8, 2022
I was able to grab the Monarchs earlier in the week at +10.5, but I would feel confident backing Old Dominion at +7 or better.
I will also be making a small wager on the moneyline.
