With a record seven ranked matchups on deck Saturday, it's easy to fall asleep on games with just one ranked squad, but there will be fireworks in Lubbock. The West Virginia Mountaineers (5-3) visit the #15 Texas Tech Raiders (7-1) for a 9:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN, with Texas Tech favored by 15.5 points on the spread, via PrizePicks.
Texas Tech stayed alive in the hunt for back-to-back Big 12 titles with a win at home against Arizona last week, which was sparked by a change at quarterback. This new-look offense might have to gel quickly to keep pace with West Virginia's electric backfield duo, QB Michael Hawkins Jr. and RB Cam Cook.
Below, we’ll look at each team’s recent performance and more in our West Virginia vs. Texas Tech prediction, capped by picks for player projections on PrizePicks.
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West Virginia vs. #15 Texas Tech Prediction, Spread, Over/Under for CFB Week 10 – Saturday, November 7
Texas Tech is a 15.5-point favorite for the spread, paired with a 1.13x payout to win on PrizePicks — or a $113 payout on a $100 entry if you’re right.
Here are the full payouts for West Virginia vs. Texas Tech, including winner payouts, the spread, and over/under. PrizePicks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Make your West Virginia vs. Texas Tech prediction on the over/under on PrizePicks!
Stats and data in this article are from PFF, Game on Paper, and Team Rankings unless stated otherwise.
Texas Tech entered the season with sky-high expectations in the Big 12 with one of the largest payrolls in the country, and it sounds crazy, but the walls were closing in just seven days ago.
Hosting a #22 Arizona squad after losing to Cincinnati, Tech was in a "lose and you're out" position as BYU and Utah were set to battle for the regular season crown in Week 10, and Oklahoma State, led by QB Drew Mestemaker, keeps lighting up the scoreboard. The Red Raiders' coaching staff made a bold call, and it paid off.
Former Boston College and Florida State star Tommy Castellanos started for Will Hammond at quarterback and delivered 144 passing yards, 117 rushing yards, and 3 total touchdowns with no turnovers. Tech's dormant offense put up 34 points.
They'll look to keep that momentum rolling in a game with less pressure — but definitely some danger. The 5-3 West Virginia Mountaineers may not be in the playoff picture, but they've made their presence felt with 33.6 points per game (PPG; 32nd in FBS). Consistency and defensive momentum are two things they'll need to demonstrate to lock down a quality bowl game.
If Texas Tech's defense isn't sharp, the Mountaineers could catch them napping, but remember what the underdogs are up against. The last visitor at Galaxy Stadium to walk out a winner was a Colorado Buffaloes squad led by Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter in 2024.
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West Virginia vs. Texas Tech Prediction on Over/Under for CFB Week 10 – 11/7/26
With stars on offense like Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook, who have probably graced the average college football fan's social media feeds by now, how are the Mountaineers so pedestrian?
Well, it's a truly horrible defense. Only one team in FBS, Colorado State, is giving up more yards per play than West Virginia (7.1). It's 131st in adjusted EPA per play allowed. Four different teams have scored at least 40 points against the Mountaineers. If there was ever a get-right spot for Texas Tech's offense, it would be this one.
Texas Tech has a consistent rushing attack, ranking 19th in success rate (49.2%) across the nation. Castellanos' insertion, presumably, will help in this regard. I guess you could call the Mountaineers' defense a "pass funnel," but they still allow 4.6 yards per carry on the ground (97th in FBS).
The Red Raiders' defense also hasn't been as dominant as the unit that sent six defenders to the 2026 NFL Draft. They're a solid but unspectacular, sitting 31st in adjusted EPA per play allowed.
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West Virginia vs. Texas Tech Picks, Player Stats for PrizePicks – 11/7/26
Today’s West Virginia vs. Texas Tech picks are headlined by Cameron Dickey and Michael Hawkins Jr. on PrizePicks.
West Virginia QB Michael Hawkins Jr. vs. Texas Tech: 183.5 Passing Yards
Despite sending so many defensive linemen to the league, Tech hasn't budged much against the run. After ranking top 10 in yards per rush allowed last year, the Red Raiders are 18th in 2026 (3.2).
The secondary has been a different story. QBs Noah Fifita, Connor Weigman, Braden Atkinson, and JV French IV averaged 321.3 passing yards per game against the Red Raiders as the four passers on their schedule with a top-50 passer rating. Michael Hawkins Jr. (161.7 passer rating) is another.
Hawkins' legs are always a risk to his passing yardage, but Weigman, with 56 rushing yards, was the most effective quarterback on the ground against Texas Tech so far. The exceptional rush defense has extended to the quarterback position.
Plus, a look at projections on PrizePicks shows the Mountaineers as north of two-touchdown underdogs in this contest. They might not be able to run the ball to the extent they have in other back-and-forth matchups this season.
Pick Michael Hawkins Jr. and West Virginia to cover the spread on PrizePicks!
Texas Tech RB Cameron Dickey vs. West Virginia: 67.5 Receiving Yards
In such a favorable matchup, the guesswork in the Red Raiders' backfield comes via determining workloads.
J'Koby Williams took a dominant role after Cameron Dickey's Week 5 ankle injury against Colorado. The latter made his return a week ago, and Williams handled 15 total touches to Dickey's 11. Quentin Joyner mixed in with two first-half touches but faded late into the game.
That was just the first game back for the 2025 team leader in touchdowns (16), too. In the first four weeks of the season, Dickey handled 39.5% of the total running back opportunities to Williams' 41.3%.
It was nearly a dead-even split with sprinklings of Joyner mixed into the fold, and that's what I'm projecting another week removed from Dickey's absence.
Texas Tech hasn't yet faced an FBS rushing defense outside the top 90 in EPA per rush attempt allowed. Against the worst one its faced, Dickey turned 14 touches into 115 scrimmage yards against Sam Houston State.
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Make West Virginia vs. Texas Tech Picks on PrizePicks
Texas Tech's offense seemed to be building momentum with Tommy Castellanos at quarterback last week. Can the Red Raiders keep it rolling against a struggling Mountaineers defense, and can West Virginia keep up?
Don’t wait until kickoff — make your West Virginia vs. Texas Tech picks on PrizePicks now. Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in on your predictions if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on game winners, spreads, and over/unders — now available in 36 states!
Keep it here with the Playbook for continued CFB picks, predictions, futures, and more all the way through the 2026 College Football Playoff.
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