The No. 5 Texas Christian Horned Frogs (7-0) look to extend their unbeaten streak as they meet the West Virginia Mountaineers (3-3). The nation’s second-leading receiver, Josh Doctson (1,067 yards, 12 TDs), will be key to the outcome of this matchup. It will begin Thursday, Oct 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on FS1.
TCU routed Iowa State 45-21 in their last game. Josh Doctson had a big game in the win, totaling 10 receptions for 190 yards and two TDs. Trevone Boykin also had a big game with 436 yards and four TDs through the air. West Virginia didn’t have the same success as TCU, getting dominated by Baylor 62-38. Skyler Howard had an outstanding performance throwing the ball for the Mountaineers, completing 18 of 37 passes for 289 yards, four TDs and one interception. Shelton Gibson also had a big day, contributing 92 receiving yards and a TD on three receptions.
TCU is a 14-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment.
Heading into Week 9 of the college football season, the Horned Frogs are 7-0 Straight Up (SU) and 3-4 Against The Spread (ATS). TCU has America’s fifth-ranked passing attack, which averages 393 yards per game. Transitioning to the TCU defense, there are some things to keep in mind when it is on the field. TCU is opportunistic in its pass defense, allowing a completion percentage of only 52.1%. A vital part of the game will be whether the Horned Frogs can attack West Virginia’s offensive line, which currently is 112th in the nation in sacks allowed with three per game. TCU usually finishes games strong, averaging a Division I-best 12 points in the fourth quarter. TCU’s special teams are one of its strengths. They earn 108.9 return yards per game, putting them 25th in Division I.
Across the field, the Mountaineers have a record of 2-4 ATS and 3-3 SU. In the previous five games, West Virginia has a record of 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS. If earlier games are any indication, the Mountaineers will run the ball aggressively. They average 215.7 rushing yards per game, good enough for 21st in Division I. Switching gears to the West Virginia defense, it has some favorable matchups that it may be able to take advantage of as well. If the Horned Frogs aren’t careful throwing the ball against West Virginia’s defense, they are going to be in some trouble. That defense has picked off the most throws on the season with 2.2 per game. The Mountaineers have a habit of starting the second half with the proper adjustments in place. They average 11 points during the third quarter, ranking 15th in Division I.
Predictions: SU Winner – Texas Christian, ATS Winner – Texas Christian
Notes
TCU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of TCU’s last 6 games.
TCU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
West Virginia is 3-0 SU when leading at the half this season. TCU is 6-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Remarkably, West Virginia is winless (0-3 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (2-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
West Virginia has drawn an average of 9.2 penalties per game on opponents over its last five games, while TCU has drawn 9.0 per game on opponents over its last five. West Virginia is only 1-2 SU this season when receiving at least nine penalties in a game. TCU is actually a perfect 4-0 SU when getting penalized at least nine times.
Nationally, the TCU passing attack is ranked fifth, while the West Virginia pass defense is only ranked 78th. The Mountaineers passing game is ranked 29th, compared to the 68th-ranked pass defense of the Horned Frogs.
