Week 10 of the 2022 NCAA college football season includes a solid slate of games from the Big 12, including a matchup between the West Virginia Mountaineers and Iowa State Cyclones. The rivals own matching 3-5 records and neither has done well against the conference this fall, highlighting the importance of a victory here.
Can West Virginia get its first win on the road since Sept. 22? Or will Iowa State play spoiler, ending its five-game losing skid in the process?
West Virginia vs Iowa State Odds
According to FanDuel Sportsbook's'college football odds, Iowa State is a clear -265 favorite on the moneyline (6.5-point spread) in a game with a 49.5-point over/under.
What should college football fans expect in this matchup, and where can bettors find value?
West Virginia vs Iowa State Prediction and Best Bet
Though West Virginia has been disappointing, it at least has a victory over the last month. The same can't be said for an Iowa State program that hasn't won since Sept. 17. Making matters worse, two of the Cyclones' three victories this year have come against MAC and OVC schools, while the third victory was against Ohio, which is 4-4 on the year.
Another reason not to like Iowa State this weekend is that the school's offense has all but disappeared. While averaging 18.7 PPG (T-No. 110) is bad enough, the Cyclones have only scored an average of 13.5 points over their last four outings, being held to 13 or fewer points in three of those contests.
W est Virginia has had its struggles too, but a 30.0 PPG clip is more than respectable for its offense. The Mountaineers' defense is still one of the worst in the nation, but I don't expect the unit to be challenged too much seeing as how the Cyclones average the 11th-fewest touchdowns per game (1.7) of all 131 FBS schools.
Including the fact that Iowa State is 0-5 against the Big 12 this season, I'm counting on West Virginia to pull off an upset on the road. I just don't think that the Cyclones have the offense needed to cover the 6.5-point spread, so give me the Mountaineers on the spread as well as at +215 on the moneyline.