The Kansas Jayhawks (1-2) go on the road this weekend to Milan Puskar Stadium to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers (1-2). This game is slated to take place at 12 p.m. ET in Morgantown and will air on ESPN2.
The Jayhawks have lost back-to-back games against Illinois and UNLV by a combined nine points.
On the flip side, the Mountaineers are coming off a four-point loss, 38-34, to the Pitt Panthers.
The Mountaineers are favored by 2.5 points on the spread in a game with a total set at 56 points. I believe that the wrong team may be favored in this game, and there's value to be had on this moneyline.
Let’s take a look at my Kansas vs West Virginia prediction and pick.
West Virginia vs Kansas Odds, Spread, Lines
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1 -110 | 55 -112o / -108u | -105 |
| West Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1 -110 | 55 -112o / -108u | -115 |
- West Virginia vs Kansas Point Spread: West Virginia -1 · Kansas +1
- West Virginia vs Kansas Total: Over/Under 55 Points
- West Virginia vs Kansas Moneyline: West Virginia ML -115 · Kansas ML -105
West Virginia Mountaineers vs Kansas Jayhawks Picks, Predictions
Kansas vs West Virginia Prediction: Kansas ML
Spread
Pass
Moneyline Prediction
My Kansas vs West Virginia best bet is on the Jayhawks to win outright, with the best line currently available at bet365, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Over/Under
Pass
How to Watch Kansas vs West Virginia
| Location: | Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 21 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN2 |
West Virginia Football vs Kansas Football Preview
West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Preview
The Mountaineers have had a similarly disappointing season. They're also 1-2, with their lone win coming against an FCS program. West Virginia lost to Penn State by 22 in Week 1 and Pittsburgh by four last weekend.
By postgame win expectancy, the Mountaineers would've expected to lose these games by 30.6 and 13.3 points, respectively, so they were actually fortunate that these final results weren’t any worse.
West Virginia ranks 55th in offensive success rate but 10th in finishing drives. It's 98th in Havoc allowed, which may not bode well against a Kansas defense that's ranked highly in this metric in 2024.
WVU runs the ball 54% of the time and ranks 35th in rushing success rate and 28th in rushing PPA. The Mountaineers' passing game leaves a lot to be desired, ranking 91st in success rate and 67th in PPA.
The West Virginia defense has had some massive holes this season. It ranks 79th in defensive success rate but 133rd in explosiveness allowed and 125th in finishing drives. The Mountaineers rank 44th in rushing success rate allowed but 90th in rushing explosiveness allowed.
Passing defense is the biggest concern for this team, ranking 105th in passing success rate allowed, 128th in passing PPA allowed and 131st in passing explosiveness allowed.
This may not be a huge shock as just one starter returns for West Virginia in the secondary this season. However, this was a good unit last season.
Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview
After starting the season ranked and having the highest expectations that this program has had in quite some time, Kansas is now sitting at 1-2 and looking to turn things around.
After a 45-point win against Lindenwood, the Jayhawks lost by six to Illinois on the road and three to UNLV at home. While these are solid opponents, more was expected from Kansas this season.
I don’t think this means we should be entirely out on Kansas, however. According to Bill Connelly’s postgame win expectancy numbers, Kansas was expected to win the Illinois and UNLV games by 1.6 and 8.9 points, respectively.
Some breaks haven't gone the Jayhawks' way, but this team still may be dangerous.
The Jayhawks rank 19th in offensive success rate this season. They run the ball at the 31st-highest rate in FBS and rank 12th in rushing success rate and 13th in rushing PPA.
Kansas is 49th in passing success rate but just 74th in passing PPA, as it's struggled with turnovers. Jalon Daniels has thrown five interceptions already this season and is averaging -0.04 EPA per dropback.
Devin Neal is still leading this rushing charge with 46 carries for 344 yards and two touchdowns. He's averaging 7.48 yards per rush and 0.24 EPA per rush this season with a 52% success rate.
The Kansas offensive line deserves a lot of credit as it ranks first in the entire country in PFF run blocking grade. This is especially impressive considering just two starters returned this season along the Jayhawks' offensive front.
Defensively, Kansas ranks 36th in success rate, 42nd in finishing drives and 28th in Havoc rate. It's 28th in passing success rate allowed and 16th in passing PPA allowed.
The rushing defense has been solid, as well, ranking 54th in success rate and 60th in PPA allowed. This unit has gone from ranking 62nd in SP+ at the end of last season to 49th now through three weeks.
West Virginia vs Kansas Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how West Virginia and Kansas match up statistically:
West Virginia Offense vs. Kansas Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 35 | 54 | |
| Line Yards | 50 | 66 | |
| Pass Success | 91 | 16 | |
| Havoc | 99 | 25 | |
| Finishing Drives | 10 | 41 | |
| Quality Drives | 54 | 76 | |
Kansas Offense vs. West Virginia Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 12 | 44 | |
| Line Yards | 7 | 19 | |
| Pass Success | 48 | 128 | |
| Havoc | 72 | 86 | |
| Finishing Drives | 7 | 125 | |
| Quality Drives | 88 | 85 |  |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 5 | 21 |
| PFF Coverage | 128 | 33 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 29 | 2 |
| Middle 8 | 90 | 75 |
| Seconds per Play | 27.3 (61) | 28.3 (83) |
| Rush Rate | 57% (44) | 59% (29) |
How to Make College Football Picks For My Kansas vs West Virginia Prediction
I understand that the Mountaineers are playing at home, but I still believe the wrong team is favored here.
The Jayhawks should likely be undefeated at this point; they've outplayed their opponents, but the results haven't come back in their favor.
As an underdog, I love taking Kansas in this game, either ATS or on the moneyline. With Kansas currently at +114 on the moneyline, give me the Jayhawks to win this game outright. I believe they're just a better team at this point of the season.
Pick: Kansas ML
College Football Betting Trends for WVU vs Kansas
- Kansas is 0-3 against the spread this season.
- The total has gone over in two of West Virginia's three games this season.
Kansas vs West Virginia Weather
