KU Jayhawks football vs. West Virginia Mountaineers: Prediction, betting line, TV

THE DETAILS

Kickoff: 5 p.m. Central time Saturday

Where: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia

TV: ESPN+ (Online streaming service, subscription required)

Radio: WHB (810 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM, 97.5 FM) in Wichita

The line: West Virginia by 13.5 points as of Thursday night

PREDICTION

Playing a Big 12 Conference game during the second week of the 2022 season presents some challenges for Kansas’ football team.

“Do you want to go on the road Week 2 in a conference game? Furthest travel for a night game, get back late then play another is not ideal,” second-year KU coach Lance Leipold said of what’s ahead for the Jayhawks, who take a 1-0 record into Saturday’s league opener against 0-1 West Virginia.

Shortly after returning home, KU’s coaches and players will start preparing for a game the following Saturday at Houston.

“We have to do it. We’ll handle it. Now we have to find out a way to go play well,” Leipold added.

Leipold is not complaining about what’s ahead for the Jayhawks, who rolled to a 56-10 season-opening victory over Tennessee Tech on Friday Sept. 2 at Booth Memorial Stadium.

“You struggle to fit the nonconference into the schedule. Sometimes to fit the three games, you go into Week Four maybe. I’d rather play it (conference game) Week Two than have an open (bye) week and go 10 more weeks,” Leipold said.

KU will conclude the nonconference slate with a home game vs. Duke on Sept. 24, then play Iowa State at home on Oct. 1 and TCU at home on Oct. 8. Then it’s off to Oklahoma (Oct. 15) and to Baylor (Oct. 22) in successive weeks, before enjoying a bye week. Four games will remain after the Jayhawks’ break in the schedule.

“It’s a great sign of maturity, celebrating this (win over Tennessee Tech) but knowing there’s more to come and happen. Challenges will increase in a lot of ways by leaps and bounds quickly. This is a challenging schedule. We have to be ready for every week,” Leipold said.

The Jayhawks face plenty of challenges in trying to defeat a WVU team that lost, 38-31, at Pittsburgh on Thursday Sept. 1. Here are some of them. …

• WVU has won 18 consecutive home openers and 21 of the last 22. The Mountaineers also have played well against KU, holding a 10-1 record against the Jayhawks, including a 6-0 mark in Morgantown.

• KU last won a Big 12 opener in 2009 (Iowa State in Lawrence). KU last won a Big 12 opener on the road in 2008 (ISU in Ames).

• KU last was 2-0 in 2011; West Virginia last was 0-2 in 1979.

On the field, challenges include stopping former Georgia quarterback JT Daniels, receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton and running back CJ Donaldson. Daniels completed 23 of 40 passes for 214 yards, two TDs and one interception against Pitt. Donaldson had 125 yards on 7 carries and 1 TD. Ford-Wheaton had nine catches for 97 yards and two TDs.

“We talk about their weapons on the offensive side, (their) physicality on both lines,” Leipold said.

I’ll say KU will keep it close, but lose while covering the spread.

West Virginia 42, Kansas 30

Last game prediction: Kansas 44, Tennessee Tech 17 (actual KU, 56-10)

2022 record on picks: 1-0

2022 record vs. spread: 0-1