It’s bowl season and this year, both of West Virginia’s college football schools have secured a berth.
In the upcoming Gasparilla Bowl, Marshall will be going head-to-head with South Florida, whereas the WVU football team will be pitted against Syracuse in the World Camping Bowl.
Continue reading to find out more details about sports betting in West Virginia.
World Camping Bowl
The West Virginia Mountaineers with a record of 8-3 will be facing the Syracuse Orange, who hold a record of 9-3. The game is scheduled to take place on Friday, December 28 at 5:15 p.m. Eastern Time. The current betting line has West Virginia as the favorites with a spread of -1.5 points. The total combined score for the game is set at 68 points.
The World Camping Bowl features an exciting matchup between West Virginia and Syracuse, which promises to be highly entertaining. However, the game’s appeal slightly diminished when West Virginia’s quarterback, Will Grier, announced his decision to sit out in order to focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.
The Mountaineers were initially favored to score a touchdown and had the second highest total points of the bowl season at 74 (with Oklahoma/Alabama having the highest at 79). Consequently, Syracuse supporters and those betting on the under were thrilled to learn that Grier would not be playing. Currently, most sportsbooks have the spread at WV -1.5 and the total points at 68.
West Virginia’s hopes of making it to the Big 12 Championship Game were dashed due to narrow defeats to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, resulting in a total point difference of only seven. Despite finishing the season with a record of 8-3, the Mountaineers managed to cover the spread in 6 out of their 11 games.
Betting on the Mountaineers
When favored, West Virginia was successful for bettors with a 6-3 ATS record. The Mountaineers’ last five games resulted in going over the total.
Syracuse has emerged as a notable revelation in the country, achieving a 9-3 record in straight up wins and an impressive 8-3-1 record against the spread (ATS). The Orange concluded their season with an impressive streak of 4-1 ATS.
In the face of adversity, Syracuse proved its strength as the underdog, boasting an impressive 4-1 Against the Spread (ATS) record in such situations. However, their sole defeat occurred against Notre Dame, as their starting quarterback Eric Dungey was forced to exit the game due to a back injury during the first quarter.
Given the explosive offenses of West Virginia and Syracuse, it was expected to witness a total of 74. Both teams have a combined record of 14-9 towards exceeding the total this year.
Offense and defense
In terms of scoring, West Virginia holds the ninth spot with an average of 42.3 points per game, while Syracuse follows closely behind in 12th place with an average of 40.8 points per game. Both teams have managed to score 40 or more points on eight occasions this year. However, the absence of Grier poses as a potential issue for the West Virginia offense, at least in theory.
Both defenses fall short of being comparable to Alabama. West Virginia’s scoring defense ranks 60th, allowing an average of 26.5 points per game, while Syracuse sits at 72nd with 27.8 points per game. West Virginia’s rush defense is a cause for worry, as they allow an average of 151 yards per game. On the other hand, Syracuse excels in rushing, averaging 207 yards per game.
Despite Grier’s replacement by Jack Allison, the Mountaineers still possess a significant edge in football throwing. West Virginia’s passing offense stands at the impressive third position nationwide, averaging 358 yards per game. On the other hand, Syracuse’s pass defense is ranked a lowly 110th, allowing an average of 263 yards per game.
Dungey’s passing stats include 2,565 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His rushing abilities are just as impressive, with 732 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.
Grier’s impressive stats include 3,864 yards, 37 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, positioning him among the nation’s elite passers. Additionally, he stands at an impressive third place in the country for average passing yards per game, with an impressive 351.3 yards.
Although the frequency of matches between the two former Big East rivals has decreased, the under has prevailed in four out of the last five meetings since 2008.
Gasparilla Bowl
The game between Marshall (8-4) and South Florida (7-5) is scheduled for Thursday, December 20th at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Marshall is favored to win with a point spread of -2.5, and the total points expected in the game is set at 54.5.
Marshall, after securing a second-place finish in Conference USA’s East division, has earned a spot in the Gasparilla Bowl. In this bowl game, the Thundering Herd will go up against South Florida from the American Athletic Conference. Marshall has been given a slight advantage as a 2.5-point favorite, while the total points expected in the game is set at 54.5.
Having won three out of their last four games, Marshall steps into the Gasparilla Bowl. However, the Thundering Herd suffered a 41-20 loss to Virginia Tech in their season finale, despite entering the game as 3.5-point underdogs.
Betting on the Herd
Marshall had a victorious 8-4 season, however, they were not financially beneficial for gamblers, with a disappointing 4-8 against the spread (ATS) record. In their previous five games, Marshall only managed to cover the spread once, failing to do so as favorites on three occasions.
This year, South Florida had a 4-8 record against the spread (ATS). After an impressive 7-0 start, the Bulls finished the season on a five-game losing streak. In their last seven games, South Florida only covered the spread in two of them. The Bulls’ recent struggles can be attributed to problems on both offense and defense. Over their last four games, they averaged a mere 16.2 points per game while allowing 35.2 points.
This year, Marshall has a record of 8-4 when it comes to exceeding the predicted point total. In their previous five games, the over has been successful in four of them. On the other hand, South Florida has a record of 7-5 when it comes to falling below the predicted point total. In their last four games, the under has been successful in three of them.
Offense and defense
This season, South Florida had an average of 443 yards and 29.2 points. The Bulls’ rushing attack was ranked 36th in the nation, with an average of 202.5 yards per game.
South Florida’s defense had a tough time throughout the season, surrendering an average of 442 yards and 31.5 points per game. Their biggest challenge came in stopping the run, as they allowed an average of 245 rushing yards per game.
In this game, Marshall holds a significant edge in defense. The Herd’s impressive ranking of 23rd in FBS is due to their ability to limit opponents to an average of just 323 yards, with a mere 104 yards per game on the ground.
Isaiah Green, the quarterback for Marshall, ended the season with 2,060 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Expect the Thundering Herd to heavily rely on the running back duo, Tyler King and Brenden Knox. Together, they accumulated 1,020 rushing yards this season and are likely to excel against South Florida’s weak rush defense.
Despite Marshall head coach Doc Holliday’s flawless 5-0 record in bowl games, South Florida has the advantage of playing on their home turf at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.