Account
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Oklahoma State: Cowboys Odds, Betting Pick
November 12, 2018
Oklahoma State owns three wins and covers in a row in the series with West Virginia, including a victory over the Mountaineers in Morgantown last year. West Virginia hopes to return the favor and perhaps clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game when it clashes with the Cowboys on Saturday afternoon in Stillwater.
College football point spread: The Mountaineers opened as five-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)
College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 40.8-32.6 Mountaineers (College football picks on every game)
Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or Spotify or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news.
Why the West Virginia Mountaineers can cover the spread
The Mountaineers ride a three-game winning streak into this weekend, after trouncing TCU last week 47-10. West Virginia spotted the Horned Frogs the first three points of the game, then used a 33-0 run spanning the halves to take control, on its way toward the victory and the cover as a two-touchdown favorite.
On the day, the Mountaineers out-gained TCU 535-222, held a 26-12 advantage in first downs, stymied the Frogs to the tune of minus-7 rushing yards and allowed TCU to convert on just two-of-15 third-down situations.
West Virginia has now out-gained every opponent this season except Iowa State.
At 6-1 in conference play the Mountaineers can clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game with a victory Saturday and a Cyclones loss to Texas. And at 8-1 overall West Virginia remains on the fringe of contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Why the Oklahoma State Cowboys can cover the spread
Oklahoma State is trying to bounce back this week from a tough 48-47 loss at rival Oklahoma last week. The Cowboys trailed the Sooners early 7-0, led 21-17 in the second quarter, fell down 34-21 but rallied to lead 35-34. In the end, OSU scored with a minute to go to pull within one point, courageously went for two and the win but came up empty.
On the afternoon, Oklahoma State piled up 640 yards of total offense, as quarterback Taylor Cornelius hit on 34 of 53 throws for 501 yards and three touchdowns, without an interception. The Cowboys also held a 39-29 advantage in first downs and converted on 11-of-17 third-down and fourth-down situations. And while they came up one play short of victory they also covered easily as 20-point underdogs.
Two weeks ago Oklahoma State led Baylor by 10 points in the fourth quarter but gave up two touchdowns in the last five minutes, the second with just seven seconds left, to lose 35-31.
At 5-5 overall, the Cowboys need one win in their last two games to become bowl-eligible.
Smart betting pick
Oklahoma State won this matchup last season 50-39. However, the Cowboys have taken a step back since then, while the Mountaineers are better. Also, West Virginia owns the better performance this season against common opponents. The smart money here gives the points with the Mountaineers.
College football betting trends
The total has gone under in four of West Virginia's last five games vs. Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma State is 1-5 ATS in its last six games at home in November.
West Virginia is 22-7-1 ATS in its last 30 games on the road in November.
All college football odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.