Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia point spread: Picking Cowboys vs. Mountaineers

The Oklahoma State Cowboys and the West Virginia Mountaineers are set to face off against each other this weekend in what should be an entertaining affair. This weekend marks the 15th meeting between the two clubs on the gridiron.

The Mountaineers are currently just a 3.5-point home favorite, according to FanDuel, indicating that the experts in Vegas expect this one to be close until the very end.

In last year’s matchup, West Virginia came away with a 24-19 win. In 2021, Oklahoma State routed the Mountaineers to the tune of a 24-3 beatdown. On Wednesday, Richard Johnson of Sports Illustrated joined On3’s Andy Staples to make his pick between the Cowboys and the Mountaineers.

Johnson thinks Oklahoma State’s defense isn’t good enough in the red zone to get the job done this weekend.

“My thing in this game, comes down to I think Oklahoma State in the red zone, does not get enough stops, is not good enough for me to take them in a game I think is going to be close,” Johnson explained.

The Oklahoma State defense currently ranks 26th in the nation, allowing nine touchdowns in 12 attempts in six games.

“We’re talking about finishing drives, maximizing points, all that kind of stuff. I think West Virginia will be able to do that on Oklahoma State’s offense. So, I take West Virginia in this spot,” Johnson said.

Andy Staples agreed with Richard Johnson and he’s rolling with the Mountaineers as well.

“I am with you, I’m gonna take West Virginia, I think at home. I think their offensive line is a little bit better and they gotta bounce back. Because if they can, Neal [Brown]’s still got a chance,” Staples explained.

Johnson explained that he likes this West Virginia team because of their resiliency. And even though they were dealt a heartbreaking defeat (41-39) in the final seconds last week by the Houston Cougars, he believes the Mountaineers will bounce back.

“Yeah, and I think they’ve proved this season, they’re really resilient. They are rallying around him. They’re not quitting. They’re not like all that sort of stuff. And I don’t think a result like last week makes this team throw in the towel. It’s just one of those things you learn from. You grow,” Johnson explained.

West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene had a career-high in passing yards in the loss last week against Houston. He completed 20 of 38 passes for 391 yards, while tossing in two touchdowns with one interception.

West Virginia and Oklahoma State will kick off on Saturday, Oct. 21. Kick for that one is slated for 3:30 p.m. EST.