The West Virginia Mountaineers and Ohio Bobcats will play in a non-conference college football matchup on Saturday. The Mountaineers are the power conference team in this game but they are going on the road to face an opponent from the MAC. Will they regret hitting the road for this matchup? To find out, continue reading to get my West Virginia vs Ohio prediction ahead of Saturday’s game.
Our West Virginia vs Ohio Pick
- Pick: Ohio +3.5
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: West Virginia Mountaineers vs Ohio Bobcats
- Date & Time: Saturday, September 6, 2025, 4:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium, Athens, OH
- Broadcast: ESPNU
West Virginia vs Ohio Odds
| Odds | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | –3.5 | –170 | 59.5 |
| Ohio | +3.5 | +145 |
Key Storylines
West Virginia opened the season with a commanding 45-3 victory over FCS Robert Morris. They racked up 393 rushing yards and showed strong efficiency in the start of Rich Rodriguez’s second tenure as the head coach of the Mountaineers. Ohio nearly stunned Rutgers before falling 34-31 on the road. Bobcats quarterback Parker Navarro displayed dual-threat ability and played very well in the losing effort.
The biggest storyline going into this game is that Ohio is at home against a Big 12 opponent. The Bobcats have a great chance to pull off an upset in this game and it would be great for the MAC and the Group of Five as a whole if they can get the job done.
Quarterback Play
WVU’s Nicco Marchiol was impressive in the Mountaineers’ opener. He completed 85.0% of his passes (17 of 20) for 224 yards and a touchdown. He also added a rushing touchdown and has clearly settled into Rodriguez’s offense quickly.
Ohio’s Parker Navarro is a legitimate weapon both passing and running. He threw for 239 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 93 yards and a score in his season debut. Containing his mobility will be critical for the Mountaineer defense.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Both of these teams covered the spread in their first games of the 2025 season.
- Ohio went over the total in their first game of the year against Rutgers.
- West Virginia’s first game stayed under the total.
- Ohio and West Virginia have played four times all-time. West Virginia has won all four of those meetings. But the last of those games came in 2001.
West Virginia vs Ohio Model Projection
Score Projection: West Virginia 27 – Ohio 24
Win Probability: West Virginia 55%, Ohio 45%
Final Thoughts
This is going to be a close game and will be one of the hidden gems of the week in college football. It will be exciting to see Navarro up against a power conference defense. I think he will do a good enough job for Ohio to cover the spread no matter who comes out on top in this matchup.
