WVU Football Sits as Heavy Favorite to Win Big in Season Opener

The pageantry of honor Pat White only adds to the “must-win” nature of the WVU football season opener. Fortunately for West Virginia fans, the major sportsbooks aren’t expecting the Mountaineers to be on upset come Saturday afternoon.

DraftKings and FanDuel both have Rich Rodriguez’s team kicking off his second season of his tenure with a convincing win. Both premiere books have WVU as at least a 21-point favorite. FanDuel even has the spread as high as -21.5 in favor of West Virginia.

Other than West Virginia’s improved roster, a big reason why the Mountaineers are such a heavy favorite likely also connects to Coastal Carolina being in the first year with a new head coach and undergoing a roster overhaul of their own.

During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Rodriguez consistently brought up his team’s depth and experience, even if not all collectively from time together.

For Rodriguez, the talent isn’t even what gives him the most confidence. He believes in his team because of the way they’ve been working and how motivated and engaged they all seem.

Rich Rodriguez Adds to Hype for 2026 Season, Confirms Belief in Team

“I like the way they work and I think they’re ready to play a game,” he said as why he knows they’re ready for Week 1.

West Virginia will kickoff the 2026 season at home against Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will follow a pregame ceremony to honor program legend and member of the current coaching staff Pat White.

Find more coverage of Rich Rodriguez and the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.