Meineke Car Care Bowl West Virginia vs North Carolina

BetOnline Sportsbook NCAA Football Betting Odds: WEST VIRGINIA -1.5, Total 45

Here are some of the NCAA college football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* WV has won seven of its last nine games SU

* WV has covered five of its last 13 games

* WV has played four of its last six games OVER the total

* NC has won nine of its last 13 games SU

* NC has played six of its last nine games OVER the total

North Carolina is to be applauded in its second year under Butch Davis, having scored six wins over bowl teams, and fighting through personnel losses to do it. Brandon Tate looked like he was going to be a candidate for the Biletnikoff Award, averaging 23.5 yards a catch in the early going, but he went down for the year with an injury. Quarterback C.J. Yates was also lost. The Tar Heels were able to rebound with Yates’ backup, Cameron Sexton (56% completions, 9 TD’s) and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (1005 yards). Shaun Draughn also helped develop a running game, with 801 yards from scrimmage.

The best all-around player on the field during the Meineke Car Care Bowl will be Pat White, the West Virginia quarterback who finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting, and who may have improved his passing proficiency this season (18 TD’s, just six INT’s). White may not have been as deadly a runner as he was last season, but he still rambled for 919 yards, and was fully capable of breaking out for efforts like the 200 yards he gained on the ground against Louisville.

Certainly the Mountaineers missed the leadership of coach Rich Rodriguez, who went off to Michigan. Not to mention the speed of Steve Slaton, who went to the Houston Texans and has had a Pro Bowl-caliber season. However, Noel Devine provides something of a big play element, averaging 6.4 yards a carry en route to a season where he chalked up 1228 yards.

This team can still play defense, allowing just 15.9 points a game and 3.6 yards per rushing attempt. North Carolina’s secondary picked off 19 passes, but West Virginia was not far behind, with 16 interceptions.

WVU had some close shaves that prevented it from having an even better season, losing a 26-23 nail-biter to Cincinnati in overtime, not to mention games by four points to Pitt and three points on the road at Colorado. There are still plenty of holdovers from the team that routed Oklahoma 48-28 in last year’s Fiesta Bowl. Meanwhile, this stuff is very new to Davis’ squad, which last went to a bowl in 2004.

We’re going to look for the more experienced West Virginia squad to have enough, laying a point and a half with them in the BetOnline NCAA colleeg football betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: WEST VIRGINIA -1.5 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

(Charles Jay of http://www.ebookies.com gives it more than the old college try as a contributor to the BetOnline Locker Room)