by Rod Pearson
Monday, Sep 29, 2025
Game Time: 10:30 pm ET, Friday, October 3, 2025
Venue: LaVell Edwards Stadium (LES), Provo, UT
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: WVU +19.5, BYU -19.5; Over/Under: 47.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: WVU +19.5, BYU -19.5; Over/Under: 48 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: WVU +19.5, BYU -19.5; Over/Under: 47.5 points
Season Record
West Virginia Mountaineers: 2-3 (0-2) (15th place, Big 12)
BYU Cougars: 4-0 (1-0) (3rd place, Big 12)
Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Nelly’s Sports is on a HOT STREAK in college football on a 16-4-1 CFB RUN for +$11,630 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.
Recent Form
West Virginia Mountaineers: lost their last game at home against the Utah Utes 48-14.
BYU Cougars: won their last game on the road against the Colorado Buffaloes 24-21.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs BYU Cougars Preview and Analysis
West Virginia is entering this game with a 2-3 record overall and they have a 0-2 record in their conference games too. They are 2-1 in their home games, 0-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against Utah 48-14. Jaylen Henderson was the starting QB and he completed 3/7 passes for 22 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Jarod Bowie led the team in rushing yards with 68. Cam Vaughn led the receivers with 62 receiving yards on 3 receptions and 1 TD. Derek Carter led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. Nick Taylor came away with the only interception for them in that one.
BYU is entering this game with a 4-0 record overall and they have a 1-0 record in their conference games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 2-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Colorado 24-21. Bear Bachmeier was the starting QB and he completed 19/27 passes for 179 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Bear Bachmeier led the team in rushing yards with 98. Chase Roberts led the receivers with 49 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 2 TDs. Jack Kelly led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles while Jack Kelly, Isaiah Glasker, and Faletau Satuala each led the defense in sacks with 1. Isaiah Glasker came away with the only interception for them in that one.
West Virginia vs BYU Prediction
The current betting odds have BYU listed as a 19.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. BYU has looked great in their games this season with their 4-0 record overall and their 1-0 conference record record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They are off a nice comeback win over Colorado in their last one and their defense has looked great in their games too. Meanwhile, West Virginia hasn't looked great in their games this season with their 2-3 record overall and their 0-2 conference record which has them right near the bottom of the Big 12. It has been a rough first year for Rich Rod as head coach and even with the players he brought over from Jacksonville State, they still don't have a lot of talent to compete with some of the other teams in the conference. They ended up getting a big win at home over Pitt, but now they are off a 48-14 loss to Utah at home and they aren't going to look any better on the road here in the elevation. BYU earned a ranking 2 weeks ago and have moved up after last week so they are going to be motivated to win this conference game big at home, especially after struggling with Colorado in their last one. This is a bad situation for a struggling West Virginia team that just doesn't have a lot of talent this year. The best way to place a bet here is on BYU to cover the spread in this game.
West Virginia BYU Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Friday, October 3, 2025 (10:30 pm ET start time) is BYU 42 WVU 17.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this West Virginia Mountaineers BYU Cougars prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
West Virginia Mountaineers: 15-8 ATS off a home loss by 14 or more points. 37-27 ATS versus good rushing teams - averaging 200 rushing yards/game or more. 6-2 ATS after allowing 37 points or more last game. 6-3 OVER as a road underdog. 8-1 OVER after allowing 37 points or more last game.
BYU Cougars: 24-32 ATS off a road win against a conference rival. 14-34 ATS after a 2 game road trip. 6-3 OVER as a home favorite. 6-3 OVER off a win against a conference rival. 6-3 OVER after 3 or more consecutive straight up wins.
Key Injuries
West Virginia Mountaineers: N. Marchiol (QB) Out - Foot. C. Bowers (RB) Questionable - Concussion. C. Young (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Horton (S) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Livingston (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. White (RB) Out - Knee. J. Bray (WR) Out - Undisclosed.
BYU Cougars: S. Moa (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Kabeya (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Phillips (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Bryant-Strother (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“Did you hear me say that the injuries are the reason we lost? It makes it more difficult or more challenging, but you can overcome it.” - Rich Rodriguez after his team’s loss against Utah in their last game.
“He did a great job. Didn’t ever look like he was frazzled or that he was shell-shocked at all. He came like that. Credit his family and the way he was raised. He was a cool customer and I loved the way he was leading out there.” - Kalani Sitake on Bachmeier after his team’s win against Colorado in their last game.
Starting Lineups
West Virginia Mountaineers
WR Vaughn, Cam
WR Bray, Jaden
WR Gallagher III, Rodney
TE Barnes, Grayson
QB Marchiol, Nicco
RB White, Jahiem
BYU Cougars
WR Roberts, Chase
WR Hagen, Cody
WR Kingston, Parker
TE Ryan, Carsen
QB Bachmeier, Bear
RB Martin, LJ
Statistical Leaders
West Virginia Mountaineers
Passing: Nicco Marchiol (720)
Rushing: Jaylen Henderson (146)
Receiving: Cam Vaughn (277)
Touchdowns: Tye Edwards (3)
BYU Cougars
Passing: Bear Bachmeier (697)
Rushing: LJ Martin (400)
Receiving: Chase Roberts (234)
Touchdowns: Bear Bachmeier (4)
Coaches:
West Virginia Mountaineers: Rich Rodriguez (1st season)
BYU Cougars: Kalani Sitake (10th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
