The West Virginia Mountaineers (2-0) and No. 25 Virginia Cavaliers (2-0) meet Saturday in the Duke's Mayo Classic. Kickoff from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (ACC Network). Let's analyze college football odds around the West Virginia vs. Virginia odds and make our expert college football picks and predictions for the best bets.
West Virginia dominated UT Martin 52-7 last Saturday, covering as a massive 41.5-point home favorite with the Over (56.5) cashing. The Mountaineers beat Coastal Carolina 31-24 in Week 1 to start their 2026 season but failed to cover as a 20.5-point favorite. Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr. leads the team as a dual-threat quarterback, with 287 passing yards and a team-high
199 rushing yards through 2 weeks.
Virginia got an easy matchup with in-state foe Norfolk State last Friday, throttling its opponent 59-3 and covering as a 47.5-point favorite. The Over (56.5) hit. The Cavaliers hammered NC State 34-8 to open their season and covered as a 4.5-point home favorite. Missouri transfer QB Beau Pribula has led the charge. The Cavaliers are looking to build on their 11-win 2025 season, which was among the best in recent history.
– Rankings: US LBM Coaches Poll, conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports
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West Virginia vs. Virginia odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): West Virginia +333 (bet $100 to win $333) | Virginia -425 (bet $425 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): West Virginia +11 (-118) | Virginia -11 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 53.5 (O: -110 | U: -108)
West Virginia vs. Virginia picks and predictions
Prediction
Virginia 35, West Virginia 21
Moneyline
PASS.
Avoid this play. Virginia (-425) is far too expensive to actually consider here, but it is worth a look to cover.
Against the spread
BET VIRGINIA -11 (-112).
Tony Elliott, the Cavaliers head coach, knows how to win and win big, entering his fifth season in the position and having served at Clemson during the late 2010s, when it dominated college football. He has Pribula playing the most efficient football of his career so far, completing 84% of his pass attempts and having a 5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Virginia is a strong 2-0 ATS and won its lone game with a single-digit spread by 26 points.
West Virginia has potential, but it hasn't been challenged, which makes it tough to tell just how good it could be. Hawkins Jr. didn't spend much time on the field at Oklahoma, so he hasn't faced a team of this caliber either. Having struggled with Coastal Carolina at home (compiling fewer yards and first downs), West Virginia should come up well short Saturday.
Over/Under
BET OVER 53.5 (-110).
Neither side has had a problem finding the end zone.
West Virginia has tallied 83 points through 2 games with Hawkins Jr. scrambling enough to keep drives alive. Virginia has scored 93 points in 2 games and only hit the Under in its first contest because it limited the Wolfpack to 8 points.
The Mountaineers' strength is in the run game, and that's where NC State had some traction, rushing for 76 yards compared to just 92 through the air. Expect both offenses to keep rolling Saturday and take OVER 53.5 (-110).
Betting odds calculator
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Virginia Cavaliers odds, picks and predictions
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