With 14 starters and plenty of high profile talent returning from a 10-3 squad, many expected last year's West Virginia team to do some damage in its new Big 12 home. The Mountaineers got off to a fast start, storming their way to a 5-0 record with wins over Baylor and Texas, but an October 13th meeting with Texas Tech in Lubbock signaled a change of course for Dana Holgorsen's crew. West Virginia dropped that game 49-14 and went on to lose five of its next seven, including a bowl meeting with former Big East rival Syracuse, to finish 7-6 overall and 4-5 in conference play. Unfortunately for Mountaineers fans, early 2013 College Football Predictions are expecting even worse this season. West Virginia is presently favored to win fewer than 6.5 regular season games at -210 odds ($210 wins $100) and it is a seventh pick, at +2500 odds, to win the Big 12 Championship.
West Virginia produced plenty of offense last year, averaging 39.5 points per game, but its defense was a sieve, yielding 38.1 points per contest. The defense should improve this season with seven starters and 24 lettermen returning to Morgantown; however, the loss of eight starters on offense, including Geno Smith, Tavon Austin, and Stedman Bailey, will make it difficult to match 2012's production.
The Mountaineers schedule is another issue as they face road meetings with Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas State, and TCU. The Golden Nugget, which released its College Football Games of the Year in June, has West Virginia listed as an underdog in each of those contests and it is lined as a 10 point dog in home games opposite Oklahoma State and Texas.
West Virginia Mountaineers 2013 College Football Predictions:
West Virginia Odds to win the 2014 BCS National Championship +75000
West Virginia Odds to win the Big 12 Championship +2500 (tied for seven of 10)
West Virginia Regular Season Wins: Over 6.5 (+160), Under 6.5 (-210)
2013 Schedule with LVH and Golden Nugget Early College Football Game Lines:
8/31 William and Mary
9/7 at Oklahoma (Golden Nugget: West Virginia +15, LVH: West Virginia +16.5)
9/14 Georgia State
9/21 Maryland (Golden Nugget: West Virginia -2)
9/28 Oklahoma State (Golden Nugget: West Virginia +10)
10/5 at Baylor (Golden Nugget: West Virginia +8)
10/19 Texas Tech
10/26 at Kansas State (Golden Nugget: West Virginia +9)
11/2 at TCU (Golden Nugget: West Virginia +10.5)
11/9 Texas (Golden Nugget: West Virginia +10)
11/16 at Kansas
11/29 Iowa State (Golden Nugget: West Virginia -7.5)
College Football Free Picks: Mississippi State vs Oklahoma State
What college football bettors need to know about betting Mississippi State vs Oklahoma State on Saturday (8/31/13) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Steve Fezzik, with Bryan Leonard.
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