West Virginia Opens as 5-Point Underdog to Minnesota in Guaranteed Rate Bowl

It hasn’t quite been the season many around West Virginia hoped for, but with the Guaranteed Rate Bowl at the end of the month, WVU has a chance to finish above .500 and bring home back-to-back bowl wins under head coach Neal Brown.

However, according to the early betting lines, WVU will need to pull an upset over Minnesota at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona on Dec. 28 at 10:15 p.m. EST.

The early betting lines set WVU as a five-point underdog against the Golden Gophers, with both DraftKings and FanDuel setting the line at five points.

DraftKings has set a bet against the spread for WVU holds -115 odds while the same for Minnesota holds -110 odds. A slim over/under of 45 points has been set, with both options holding -110 odds.

A money line bet for WVU holds +165 odds while the same for Minnesota holds -195 odds.

FanDuel also marked the spread at five points, with a bet for either team to cover set at -110 odds. An over/under set at 44 points also holds -110 odds for either option.

A money line bet for WVU holds +164 odds while the same for Minnesota holds -205 odds.

WVU and Minnesota have never met on the football field before Dec. 28’s matchup, but there’s a first for everything. The Golden Gophers completed a solid 8-4 season, going 7-4-1 against the spread.

While losses to Ohio State and Iowa this season, both close games, appear to show a squad that contended in the Big Ten, the Gophers also dropped games to Bowling Green and Illinois… so, I guess you never quite know what you’ll get.