Kansas vs. West Virginia Football: Opening Betting Spread Revealed

The Kansas Jayhawks will take on West Virginia after their current bye week to open Big 12 play.

KU is coming off a loss to Missouri and will return home for back-to-back games with hopes of starting off league play strong.

West Virginia, coming off an overtime win over Pitt, has been shaky to start the 2025 season. That would explain why Kansas is a significant betting favorite in the opening odds of the contest.

Kansas Football Opens as a 10.5-Point Favorite

Per FanDuel Sportsbook, the Jayhawks are nearly two-score favorites, which is reportedly their largest spread over a conference opponent since 2010.

Kansas was given a generous -365 moneyline, while WVU’s is listed at +285. The over/under of the contest is 53.5 points.

Last year, KU also opened conference play against the Mountaineers, but the team’s string of heartbreaking losses continued. WVU quarterback Garrett Greene needed less than two minutes to put together a game-winning drive, throwing a go-ahead touchdown with 26 seconds to go en route to a 32-28 victory.

Although they came out of the Backyard Brawl victorious yesterday, WVU did lose 17-10 to Ohio the week prior, which raised some questions about first-year head coach Rich Rodriguez’s squad.

Sep 6, 2025; Athens, Ohio, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez calls a timeout during the second quarter against the Ohio Bobcats at Peden Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

A week prior, the Mountaineers lost star running back Jahiem White for the season to an injury. However, Northern Iowa transfer Tye Edwards showed up in his place, rushing for 141 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries.

The win over Pitt certainly removed some of the taint from West Virginia’s early struggles. However, the Mountaineers are still far from a complete team, and Kansas is working with a much more talented roster led by sixth-year quarterback Jalon Daniels.

The Jayhawks’ offense has been impressive so far, scoring 31 points in the loss to Missouri and dominating its previous opponents in Fresno State and Wagner.

Although Kansas didn’t come out on top in the Border Showdown, it proved they were athletic and strong enough to compete with one of the SEC’s best teams. West Virginia has yet to face a school of that caliber, and this will be one of its toughest tests in conference play.

The 10.5-point spread is further proof that bettors are putting their trust in the Jayhawks, even coming off a loss.

This could wind up being the largest betting spread for Kansas in conference play aside from Big 12 long shots like Oklahoma State.

Rich Rod’s renowned fast-paced, power spread offense could give the Jayhawks’ defense problems, but Lance Leipold and Co. will be expected to take care of business next Saturday at 5 p.m. CT.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.