West Virginia Mountaineers vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Prediction, 12/28/2021 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: West Virginia Mountaineers vs Minnesota Golden Gophers

Date: Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Location: Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Golden Gophers (-5)

Total/Over-Under: 44.5

The West Virginia Mountaineers (6-6) are traveling to Chase Field on Tuesday where they will take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-4) in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. West Virginia is 5-point dogs. The total is 44.5.

The West Virginia Mountaineers head into this game 6-6 for this season. In their last matchup, the Mountaineers faced off with the Kansas Jayhawks and walked away with a win by a score of 34-28. Jarret Doege finished 16/21 with 170 yds passing and 3 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rate of 181.8 and finished the game with 1 interception. Tony Mathis was the best rusher for the Mountaineers with 22 attempts for 118 yds (5.4 yards per carry). The West Virginia Mountaineers ended up rushing 50 different times and amassed 261 yds, which earned them an average of 5.2 yards per attempt. Overall, they ran 72 plays which converted into 436 yards. West Virginia conceded 22 completions on 32 tries for a total of 249 yds, and a completion rate of 68.8%. In the running game, the Mountaineers conceded 87 yards on 27 tries, which is 3.2 yards per run allowed.

When it comes to putting the ball in the endzone, the West Virginia Mountaineers have an average of 26.8 points per contest. As a unit they're maintaining an average of 127.9 yards on the ground which has them sitting 98th in college football. The Mountaineers have earned 4,618 total yards for the season. When it comes to getting in the endzone, West Virginia has earned 19 touchdowns via the pass and 18 rushing touchdowns. West Virginia has earned 263 first downs as an offense, and they have been called for 64 infractions for 541 yds. They have turned the football over 19 times.

Concerning yards via the pass, the Mountaineers have given up 2,641 yds which ranks them 54th in Division 1. They have surrendered 220.1 yards per outing through the air in addition to giving up a completion percentage of 64.2%. For the season, they have yielded 349.6 yards/contest which ranks them 40th in D-1. They have yielded 17 touchdowns via the pass and 13 touchdowns on the ground. They are allowing 3.9 yards per rush and 129.5 rushing yards per contest on the season. For the season, they have allowed 1,554 running yards through 12 outings. The Mountaineers are ranked 50th in Division 1 when it comes to the opposition scoring, allowing 24.3 points per game.

Get all of our College Football Picks Today

The Golden Gophers come into this matchup with a record of 8-4 this year. When they last stepped on the field, the Golden Gophers got the victory with a final of 23-13 when they played the Wisconsin Badgers. Tanner Morgan (1 touchdown) walked away from the contest with 199 yards on 11/16 through the air while his QB rate was 181.4. He threw 1 interception and his average yards per pass attempt was 12.4. Ky Thomas ran the ball 18 times for 55 yds, ending the game with 3.1 yds per attempt for Minnesota. The Golden Gophers finished the contest with a total of 282 yards while they ran 51 plays (5.5 yards per play). Minnesota ended up running for 2.4 yds per carry, finishing the game with 83 yards on 35 attempts. Minnesota allowed 22 run attempts for 62 yards (2.8 yards per rush). The Golden Gophers pass defense allowed a completion rate of 55.3%, relinquishing 171 yards on 21 for 38 through the air.

In terms of their ability to score points, the Golden Gophers are sitting 84th in the nation scoring 26.1 points per contest. Over the course of the season to this point, the Golden Gophers have compiled 1,997 yards through the air as well as holding an average of 166.4 passing yards per game, which is ranked 115th in D-1. The Minnesota Golden Gophers hold an average of 361.4 yards/game, ranking them 97th in college football. The Minnesota offense has 562 penalty yards on 55 violations, which is 119th in college football in terms of hurting your team.

Minnesota has yielded a total of 1,204 yards on the ground (100.3 yards per game) in addition to 10 touchdowns rushing for the campaign. They have given up 16 touchdowns from the passing game and 184.7 yards/outing, which has them ranked 11th in D-1. The Golden Gophers defense has taken part in 686 plays, which has them sitting 4th in college football. The Golden Gophers are giving up 18.3 points per game, which has them 10th in Division 1. This year, they have relinquished 220 points in total.

Who will win tonight's Mountaineers/Golden Gophers college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Golden Gophers -5

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here