The West Virginia Mountaineers will meet the Utah Utes in the Heart of Dallas Bowl and are limping into the postseason after dropping their final two games of the regular season. The Mountaineers have made a bowl game in 15 of their last 16 seasons but are only 2-5 SU in their last seven postseason appearances. WVU opened as a 7-point underdog vs the Utes.
- The favorite has yet to lose a Heart of Dallas Bowl at 6-0 SU and 4-2 ATS.
- Utah is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games in bowl season.
- West Virginia is 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS in its last five games in December.
Utah may have only finished 6-6 SU this season but there’s no denying they show up for bowl games. Since Kyle Whittingham took over at head coach for the Utes in 2005, they’re 10-1 SU in bowl games and have won four in a row. Utah will be led by quarterback Tyler Huntley, who had mixed results this season, throwing 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. If he can stay upright and get decent protection (sacked 25 times this season), the Utes should be in a great spot to win their fifth consecutive bowl game.
The Mountaineers will have to rely on backup quarterback Chris Chugunov in the Heart of Dallas Bowl with starter Will Grier needing surgery for a broken finger. Chugunov has one start under his belt and did not impress, only throwing for 137 yards and no touchdowns vs Oklahoma. He’ll need support from the running game with Justin Crawford and Kennedy McKoy if they plan to keep this game close.
Utah Utes vs West Virginia Mountaineers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
West Virginia will face the 6-6 Utah Utes, who own a 8-3-1 ATS mark on the season. In totals betting, the West Virginia Mountaineers are 7-4-1 so far this season while the Utes are 6-6. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and West Virginia vs Utah injuries news.
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Mountaineers rated this week at No. 61 and the Utes sitting at No. 50.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the West Virginia Mountaineers' No. 21-ranked offense (36.25 PPG) against a Utah Utes defense that ranks No. 43 at 23.92 PPG. The Mountaineers passing attack has averaged 324.75 yards per game, more than the Utes give up through the air (214 YPG on average).
Defensively, the Utes feature the league's No. 74-rated road run defense, allowing 181.4 yards per game. West Virginia, meanwhile, ranks No. 104 in rushing offense at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Zack Moss went over the 100-yard mark (196) in his team's latest effort as Utah defeated Colorado by a score of 34-13 on Saturday.
Kennedy McKoy tore up the turf for 137 rushing yards in the latest Mountaineers game, a 59-31 loss to the Sooners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
