West Virginia vs. Minnesota Odds, Date: Opening Spread, Total for 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl

West Virginia vs. Minnesota Odds

West Virginia is set to take on Minnesota in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 28 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. Find our expert’s projected odds, a recap of each team’s seasons, plus more information on the Guaranteed Rate Bowl below.

West Virginia vs. Minnesota Projected Odds

These West Virginia vs. Minnesota projections are based on Collin Wilson’s college football power ratings, which help power our PRO Projections — they compare all of his projections to real-time college football odds in order to easily identify betting edges.

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How West Virginia Reached the Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Neal Brown is still stuck in the logjam of the Big 12.

After leading Troy to three straight double-digit-win seasons and a Sun Belt title to boot, the head man has gone 5-7, 6-7 and — most-recently — 6-6 at West Virginia.

The Mountaineers, who also finished the regular season 6-6 against the spread, were outscored by 3.3 points per game.

The offense was especially bland for a Big 12 unit, totaling more than 34 points once against FBS competition. West Virginia was held to 20 or fewer points against five conference foes.

If anything, Brown has been great in bowls, winning all four appearances — that includes when West Virginia took down Army in the Liberty Bowl last season.

How Minnesota Reached the Guaranteed Rate Bowl

What an odd year for Minnesota, seemingly from the start.

The Gophers hung with Ohio State in the opener, but nearly lost to Miami (OH) out of the MAC the following week. They beat Colorado by 30 in a game they were getting points. Then, the following week, they lost to Bowling Green outright as a 30.5-point favorite.

Minnesota then rallied the next two weeks, with consecutive upsets of Nebraska and Purdue before losing as a 14.5-point favorite against Illinois. The Gophers were able to cap the season with a win as underdogs against Wisconsin, spoiling the Badgers’ big to make the Big Ten Championship.

Get all that?

Whichever version of the Golden Gophers you remember from the 2021 season, here’s the facts: P.J. Fleck’s squad oddly closed the year with momentum, covering six of the final eight.

Minnesota’s defense got the job done, ranking 11th or better nationally in passing yards, rushing yards, total yards, and total points allowed per game.

West Virginia vs. Minnesota Matchup Analysis

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how West Virginia and Minnesota match up statistically:

West Virginia Offense vs. Minnesota Defense

	Offense	Defense	Edge
Rush Success	72	15
Line Yards	83	22
Pass Success	44	27
Pass Blocking**	29	68
Big Play	74	12
Havoc	88	88
Finishing Drives	38	64
** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.)

Minnesota Offense vs. West Virginia Defense

	Offense	Defense	Edge
Rush Success	61	48
Line Yards	51	57
Pass Success	85	81
Pass Blocking**	37	79
Big Play	53	19
Havoc	29	64
Finishing Drives	79	21
** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.)

Pace of Play / Other

PFF Tackling	29	78
Coverage	69	35
Middle 8	39	14
SP+ Special Teams	100	41
Plays per Minute	92	100
Rush Rate	50.5% (93)	69.3% (4)

Guaranteed Rate Bowl Date, Time, TV, More Info

• Date: Dec. 28
• Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
• Location: Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona
• TV Info: ESPN