BYU is hosting West Virginia on Friday night of Week 6. The game will take place at 10:30 p.m. ET in Provo, Utah.
The Cougars are 13.5-point home favorites in this game on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 47.5 points. This is a preview, prediction and pick for this BYU vs. West Virginia Big 12 conference matchup.
BYU vs. West Virginia prediction, preview
BYU Preview
It has been a dream start to the season for the BYU Cougars. There were concerns around the program when last year’s standout quarterback, Jake Retzlaff, was forced to transfer late in the cycle. There was no time for BYU to find a solid replacement, so the Cougars turned to true freshman Bear Bachmeier to be their Week 1 starter. Bachmeier has stepped up to the plate, playing great football for BYU. He is throwing the ball efficiently and showed in the game against Colorado that he is a great athlete as well. He rushed for 98 yards in that first Big 12 game of the season, showing real promise for the season ahead. Bachmeier should continue to impress in this very winnable home game against West Virginia.
West Virginia Preview
West Virginia had an amazing comeback win in overtime against their rivals, Pitt, earlier this season. It sparked some real hope among Mountaineers fans, but it seems as if that was a one-off, perfect performance in a rivalry game. Before that, West Virginia lost as a big favorite against Ohio. Since that win over Pitt, they lost by 31 points to Kansas and 34 points to Utah. They have been getting decimated by opponents, and they have no answers on either side of the ball. Their starting quarterback, Nicco Marchiol, is expected to medically redshirt for the remainder of the season. They have no real answer at quarterback beyond Marchiol, leaving their offense totally lost. That is an issue, since they can’t get many stops on the other side of the ball. This could be an ugly season for West Virginia, despite its exciting win over Pitt in Week 3.
BYU vs. West Virginia pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for BYU to cover the first-quarter spread of 6.5 points. On a Friday night for a conference game, the atmosphere in Provo should be incredible. This is a tough spot for West Virginia, having to travel across the country on short rest against a ranked BYU team at altitude. All of these factors favor BYU jumping out to an early lead. BYU has an elite defense, ranking 13th in the nation in defensive EPA/play. Meanwhile, West Virginia’s offense ranks 132nd in EPA/play. The West Virginia quarterback situation is a total mess, with four different players in contention to get playing time against BYU. The Cougars should hold West Virginia scoreless in the first quarter. That means they just need to get one touchdown on the board, which their quarterback, Bear Bachmeier, should have no issue doing.
