West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys Picks

The 1-0 West Virginia Mountaineers will go on the road to face off with the 1-0 15th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys are dealing with a few key injuries and we’re unsure of just how healthy they’ll be for this game. West Virginia is untested to this point and we’ll get to see how they fare against a legitimate defense. Let’s dive into how this game will go and who is in the best spot to cover the spread.

The Mountaineers opened the season up with a commanding 56-10 victory over Eastern Kentucky. While the level of competition wasn’t very high, the offense looked great under QB Jarrett Doege. The Mountaineers QB threw the ball just 25 times and completed 19 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns. The defense allowed just one touchdown and forced two turnovers. 

Leddie Brown starts at running back with Alec Sinkfield backing him up as the change-of-pace thunder back. Both backs rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns in week one and will continue keeping each other fresh. Tony Mathis Jr. will also get a few carries every week and he’s always a threat to break one loose. 

Defensively, it remains to be seen how West Virginia will attack. They were middle of the road in 2019 and were too often thrown all over against. Seven starters remain and some promising newcomers bring hope, though they’ll need to prove it against a solid opponent.

West Virginia can win this game if Doege can play mistake-free football. He’s extremely talented and has the weapons to beat an underwhelming Cowboys secondary. Sam James is a future NFL wide receiver and Bryce Ford-Wheaton is a four-star recruit with a ton of promise. 

Week one was a tough one for the Oklahoma State Cowboys as superstar QB Spencer Sanders went down with an injury during the first quarter against Tulsa. The offense completely stalled and the defense saved the day, escaping with a sloppy 16-7 victory. 

Oklahoma State is facing a tough decision this week as Spencer Sanders is questionable to play. On one hand, he might not be good enough to play without mobility. On the other hand, we saw the other options a week ago. No matter which way it goes, the Cowboys won’t be optimal under center this week. 

That means superstars Chuba Hubbard and Tylan Wallace will be leaned upon more than ever. Mike Gundy should have spent the last week figuring out how to get those guys the ball as they are the only chance for OKST to get in the end zone. 

The defense was impressive against a Tulsa team that can be explosive, and I’m excited to see what this Cowboys defense can bring to the table. The linebackers are extremely fast and the line does a good job of getting pressure. The secondary is young and unproven, but they might have more potential than any other group.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys looked disastrous on offense last week and I have no interest in a team that can’t handle the slightest of adversity. Sanders will either be limited or we’ll be looking at an inexperienced backup. West Virginia is ready to roll and they have a balanced attack that is going to put up points.

The Cowboys defense looked good against Tulsa, but that’s Tulsa and this is West Virginia. Expect Jarret Doege to throw another three-plus touchdowns as the Mountaineers go into Oklahoma State and upset the Cowboys. It’s worth waiting until close to kickoff to see if you can get a full touchdown on WVU.

The Cowboys struggled to score against Tulsa, but I expect they ironed out some things in practice this week and will come out looking more like themselves. I just think West Virginia looks even better against an OKST defense that’s now being overhyped. 51 is low for these two teams and I’m on the over. It’s my second favorite bet in this game, however, as I love the Mountaineers to cover and possibly win.