Odds for West Virginia's Coal Rush Game Against Arizona

The West Virginia Mountaineers have hit a brick wall defensively. No matter what they do or who they put in the game, it's not working, and it's starting to look like this might end up being one of the worst defenses in school history. Right now, they rank 133rd nationally in total defense, which is dead last among the 68 Power Four programs.

To make matters worse, Noah Fifita and the prolific Arizona passing attack will make the cross-country trip to Morgantown this week. The only two things for the WVU defense? They'll have the home crowd behind them, and it will be a 9 a.m. kick for those guys' body clocks.

Will those two things help WVU enough to get them back in the win column?

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Oct 3, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (3) watches his team play the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Spread: Arizona -3.5

No shock here, whatsoever. Quite frankly, I thought this might even come in a little higher, but it may not take long for this line to move. Sure, West Coast teams don't typically play well in early kicks on the East Coast, but the Mountaineers' defense is so bad it will likely cause folks to lay the points with Arizona. I'm very interested to see how this line moves throughout the week and how much. In Arizona's four wins this season, they are winning by an average of 22.5 points.

Over/Under: 57.5

Can they make the total high enough? The final scores for WVU's games this season have totaled 55, 59, 65, 65, and 87. I get the sense the Mountaineers are going to be in for a shootout every single week. The monstrosity that is the WVU defense overshadows how elite the offense has been. Through the first five weeks of the season, QB Mike Hawkins Jr. leads all Big 12 quarterbacks with 18 total touchdowns and has only thrown one pick. He and Cam Cook take up two of the top three spots in rushing in the league, and if it weren't for Aiden Flora eating against the Mountaineers' defense on Saturday, they would be one and two.

The Mountaineers and Wildcats are scheduled to square off at 12 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on TNT and can be heard on Mountaineer Sports Network on the Varsity Network App.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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