The Kansas Jayhawks look to get their first ever win in Morgantown when they visit the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday night.
West Virginia is a 13.5-point favorite and has won by at least two touchdowns in its six home meetings with Kansas. The Mountaineers’ 38-22 win in 2018 is the closest margin of victory against Kansas.
Can the Jayhawks change the course of their history in their latest clash with West Virginia on Saturday, September 10? Read below for our best free college football picks and predictions for Kansas vs. West Virginia in Week 2 of the 2022 college football season.
Kansas vs West Virginia best odds
Kansas vs West Virginia picks and predictions
Former Georgia and USC quarterback JT Daniels made his debut for West Virginia last Thursday, going 23-of-40 passing for 214 yards, with a pair of touchdown passes, one rushing score, and an interception against a Top 25 team.
Daniels’ interception came at the absolute worst time, just after Pitt tied the score 31-all with 3:41 left in regulation. On 1st-and-10 from West Virginia’s 39-yard line, the transfer QB was picked off by M.J. Devonshire, who returned the ball for a touchdown to put the Panthers up 38-31 for good. Daniels’ pass was catchable but went through the hands of receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton.
Take away the game-ending blunder, and West Virginia would be off to a roaring start. The Mountaineers outgained Pitt 404-384 and ran for 190 yards, with a 5.8 yards per rush average.
The defense also held the Panthers to just 76 rushing yards on 38 attempts, which could spell trouble for a Kansas team that relied heavily on the run (297 yards on 30 attempts) against Tennessee Tech.
While Kansas looked like a much-improved team in Week 1, the Jayhawks beat down on an FCS school that finished 3-8 last season and 2-5 the season before.
Lance Leipold’s group, who went 2-10 last year, tallied 502 yards of offense, and held Tennessee Tech to 190, allowing the Golden Eagles just 97 passing yards and 93 rushing.
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels finished 15 of 18 for 189 yards, with one touchdown and an interception, while he added 29 yards on the ground.
The bulk of the Jayhawks’ rushing production came from sophomore Devin Neal, who broke free for 108 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries.
Don’t expect Neal to have it that easy against the Mountaineers’ sturdy run defense.
West Virginia is the superior squad, and that will be apparent well before halftime in Saturday’s clash with Kansas.
My best bet: West Virginia first half -7 (-115 at DraftKings)
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Kansas vs West Virginia betting preview
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•Spread analysis •Over/Under analysis •Game info •Injuries •Weather •Trend to know
Spread analysis
Kansas is 0-6 at Morgantown and 1-10 in the series, but the Jayhawks have hope for a turnaround after they pummeled Tennessee Tech, 56-10, in Week 1. If they can manage a win on Saturday, the Jayhawks will celebrate their first 2-0 start since 2011 and their first victory in a Big 12 opener since 2009.
West Virginia, on the other hand, is hoping to avoid an 0-2 start for the first time since 1979 after the Mountaineers fell to No. 17 Pitt, 38-31, on a last-minute touchdown.
If West Virginia can clean up the penalties and turnovers from Week 1, the Mountaineers will have little trouble against their conference foe.
Daniels will likely have more time in the pocket against Kansas, and freshman running back CJ Donaldson should be able to repeat his bruising performance from Week 1 as he confronts a stop unit that surrendered the most rushing yards (250.4) in the Big 12 last year.
Donaldson ran for 125 yards and a touchdown on seven carries against Pitt, while sophomore Tony Mathis Jr. generated 71 yards on 16 carries.
While Kansas was basically a push-over last year, the team did bolster its defense through a number of transfers, but we have yet to see it face a real test.
West Virginia will give the Jayhawks all they can handle, and home-field advantage will serve them well.
The Mountaineers are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 home games and 4-0 ATS in their last four games in September, while Kansas is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 conference games and 7-19 ATS in its last 26 games overall.
Over/Under analysis
Kansas will want to run the ball Saturday, but it will find itself running into a brick wall against West Virginia.
The Jayhawks will need more from the passing game to keep this contest close, which will challenge their quarterback to stay poised under pressure.
Despite an excellent first half against Tennessee Tech, Kansas looked a bit sloppy at times after halftime, with Daniels nearly fumbling the ball, and Jacob Borcila proceeding to miss a 40-yard field-goal try on the first possession of the third quarter. Daniels then chucked up an interception on the following series.
It’ll be that much harder to remain calm against a fierce rival, and Kansas may see its momentum come to a screeching halt in Morgantown.
The Over is 5-1 in the last six meetings between these teams and 13-3-1 in Kansas’ last 17 road games, but the Under is 4-1 in West Virginia’s last five home games and 15-7 in its last 22 conference games.
Last year’s meeting in Lawrence resulted in a 34-28 decision, but the two games prior to that saw a points total below 60.
West Virginia’s lines will make the difference in this game, with the Mountaineers controlling the clock and putting away the Jayhawks for the seventh straight time at home.
Kansas vs West Virginia game info
• Location: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV
• Date: Saturday, September 10, 2022
• Kick-off: 6:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN+
Kansas vs West Virginia key injuries
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Kansas vs West Virginia weather
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Kansas vs West Virginia betting trend to know
West Virginia is 9-2-1 ATS in its last 12 home games. Find more NCAA betting trends for Kansas vs. West Virginia.
