The Virginia Cavaliers lost last against Illinois, and they didn’t just lose. Illinois won 24-3, covering the spread with ease.
While Virginia laid an egg, it was more about the inept play for potential NFL quarterback Brennan Armstrong. Armstrong was inaccurate and had one of the worst games of his career. In his redshirt senior season, those moments are expected not to happen, but he was 13-for-32 and had two interceptions. Virginia did beat Richmond 34-17, however.
Old Dominion is in Conference USA. Non-Power 5 programs made noise last week, as Marshall beat Notre Dame and Appalachian State beat Texas A&M — Old Dominion will look to continue that trend. They beat Virginia Tech to kick the season off and then lost to East Carolina last week. They were down by just 8 entering the final period before inevitably losing 39-21.
Kickoff from Scott Stadium is set for 2 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 17.
Old Dominion vs. Virginia College Football Betting Picks
Virginia Is Hard to Trust Right Now
Armstrong is the man offensively for Virginia. It goes as he goes, and while he played better against Richmond, he still was just 21-for-33 with two touchdowns and an interception.
After throwing for over 4,500 yards last season, the sky was the limit for Armstrong, but he hasn’t shown that development. Armstrong has two new linemen as well, with one being a freshman. It really hasn’t been the pressure getting to him, though, as Armstrong took just three sacks against Illinois.
Defensively, the Cavaliers have allowed 20.5 points per game as well, and while that is not awful, it isn’t great against a low-tier Power 5 program and an FCS side.
The more concerning part there is what the Fighting Illini did on the ground, as running back Chase Brown went for 146 yards rushing. As a team, Illinois went for 200 yards rushing. Even Richmond went for 170 yards on the ground, so Virginia’s run defense has left much to be desired. Old Dominion isn’t a run-heavy team, but Virginia’s weakness on the defensive front is still a concern.
The combination of a defense that has allowed massive holes to opposing rushers and an offense that goes as their struggling quarterback does shouldn’t give much confidence to those wanting to back Virginia, even at home.
Old Dominion Has Experience to Keep It Interesting
Old Dominion has a ton of sophomores that will on the field for the bulk of plays on Saturday, but they don’t have a lot of new faces in the locker room.
The experience with each other is there, as the Monarchs are returning many starters, including their quarterback and running back from a season ago. While the Monarchs did get ripped by Wake Forest last season, quarterback Hayden Wolff wasn’t the main option and did throw a touchdown without a pick in that battle. In all but two road games, the Monarchs would’ve covered an 8.5-point spread.
Old Dominion beat Virginia Tech in its opener, and that Hokies team then took down Boston College. While they aren’t the best in the Conference USA, the Monarchs should be competitive. Wolff is back, and Old Dominion is also returning four upperclassmen on its offensive line.
The Monarchs were completely abused on the ground against East Carolina, having 33 fewer rushing attempts. Still, the Monarchs have a player in Wolff that’s capable of slinging the ball.
Old Dominion vs. Virginia Pick
Looking at Old Dominion’s success against ACC teams last season doesn’t make much sense, as Wake Forest was a far better team than Virginia is. While some luck was there, Old Dominion hung in and beat Virginia Tech, a team with another quality win over Boston College. The ugly loss to East Carolina may be acceptable, as well as the Pirates’ lost to North Carolina State by just 1.
On the other hand, the new linemen and struggling Armstrong make Virginia difficult to trust. At home, Virginia should be able to come out on top, but Old Dominion should cover. Also, Virginia is 0-2 against the spread, while Old Dominion is 1-1.
Best NCAAF Bet: Old Dominion +8.5 (-107) at PointsBet | Playable to +7.5 (-110)
