Liberty Bowl 2020: Odds, Daily Fantasy Tips for West Virginia vs. Army

One of Army's top goals every football season is to beat Navy. Having accomplished that goal, the Black Knights now have an opportunity to make it an even better year.

On Thursday, Army is set to face West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tenn. The Black Knights enter the matchup at 9-2, and with a victory, they'd have their fourth 10-win season in program history (and third in the past four seasons).

Army's only losses this season came against Tulane and the undefeated Cincinnati, both on the road. The Black Knights ended the regular season with three straight wins, including victories over Navy and Air Force.

West Virginia went 5-4 during the regular season, but it faced some tough competition in the Big 12. The Mountaineers' losses came against Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas and Iowa State (which was their last game on Dec. 5). They'll be looking for their first win since Nov. 14, when they beat TCU.

Here's everything you need to know about this year's Liberty Bowl, along with some daily fantasy tips for the matchup.

Liberty Bowl Information

Date: Thursday, Dec. 31

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN online

Odds

Spread: West Virginia (-7)

Over/Under: 41.5 points

Moneyline: West Virginia -286 (bet $286 to win $100); Army +225 (bet $100 to win $225)

Via DraftKings Sportsbook

Daily Fantasy Tips

West Virginia's Doege Should Be Reliable Starter at QB

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

When West Virginia's offense was successful this season, redshirt junior quarterback Jarret Doege was getting the ball in the end zone. Of his 13 touchdown passes, 11 came in the Mountaineers' five wins. And his two rushing scores also came in West Virginia victories.

The Mountaineers are favored to beat Army, and if that happens, there's a good chance Doege will have a solid showing. He's going to have to find a way to move the ball against a Black Knights defense that is allowing only 271.1 total yards per game this season, but they didn't face any Big 12 offenses, so this could be a tougher test for them.

Even if Doege doesn't account for touchdowns, he's put up consistent yardage totals during the year. He's passed for more than 200 yards in all nine of West Virginia's games, and he's eclipsed the 300-yard mark four times. So, he should at least have a high floor as a daily fantasy play.

And if Doege passes for at least a couple of touchdowns, he could have a performance in line with his best of the season.

Mountaineers RB Brown Talented Enough to be DFS Lineup Centerpiece

Matthew Putney/Associated Press

Army has been more effective in stopping the pass than the run this season, which could mean big things for West Virginia junior running back Leddie Brown in the Liberty Bowl. He's the Mountaineers' top rusher this year, and he put up bigger numbers than any of the Black Knights' running backs.

Brown has rushed for 945 yards and nine touchdowns while also hauling in 31 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. He went over 100 total yards in seven of West Virginia's nine games.

Although there are talented players on both sides of the ball in this matchup, none have as much big-game potential as Brown. He can rack up yards in a hurry, and he's likely to get into the end zone at least once, if not more.

So, if you have the daily fantasy budget to make Brown the centerpiece of your lineup, it should pay dividends.

Army FB Buchanan Worth Lineup Consideration

With its triple-option offense, Army runs the ball a lot, and it utilizes running backs, fullbacks and quarterbacks while doing so. The Black Knights also spread the ball around a good bit, so it can be a bit difficult to predict who's going to have a big game in a given week.

But sophomore fullback Jakobi Buchanan is the most likely to have a big game against West Virginia. He ranks second on the Black Knights in rushing this season with 474 yards, and he also has the second-most rushing touchdowns (six). Buchanan is also coming off one of his best showings of the year; he had 21 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown in a win over Air Force on Dec. 19.

Buchanan typically doesn't get that many touches, but if he has the hot hand again in the Liberty Bowl, it's possible Army will continue to give him the ball. That makes him an intriguing daily fantasy option.

Expect Buchanan to at least have a solid game, with a touchdown, and don't be surprised if he performs even better.

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