The Virginia Tech Hokies travel across state lines to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday afternoon in West Virginia. Check out our college football odds series for our Virginia Tech vs. Marshall prediction and pick, and find out how to watch.

The Hokies are coming off two straight deflating losses, and are eager to right the ship against an undefeated Marshall squad. They have won six straight against their western neighbor, and will look to continue the trend as transfer QB Grant Wells faces his old team.  

Marshall hosts this game with a 2-0 record, but the victories have been by narrow margins and often in come from behind fashion. They will attempt to assert their weak spots against a tough ACC opponent. 

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Virginia Tech-Marshall Odds

Virginia Tech: +5.5 (-105)

Marshall: -5.5 (-115)

Over: 41.5 (-105)

Under: 41.5 (-115)

How to Watch Virginia Tech vs. Marshall

TV: ESPN2

Stream: WatchESPN

Time: 12:00 PM ET/9:00 AM PT

*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Virginia Tech Will Cover The Spread

The Hokies head on the road after falling short against Rutgers last week. They were in the game until late, down just five in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, before the Scarlet Knights put the game away late. However, Tech was without starting QB Grant Wells and their top wideout in Ali Jennings, both sidelined with ankle injuries. Wells is in his first year with the Hokies, after transferring from none other than Marshall following three years as their starter. 

Wells may still be listed as questionable for this game, but he will be doing everything in his power to get back on the field for this showdown in his old stomping grounds. He brings strong experience to the offense, and helped build a comeback against Purdue in Week 2 from 17 points behind, before they ultimately succumbed late. If Wells and Jennings are both active, it will be a huge boost to an offense that has struggled to convert their drives into touchdowns. 

Marshall may be arriving undefeated, but they were hardly able to squeak out victories in their first two games. They had a come from behind victory against FCS Albany, and were able to pull away from the ECU Pirates, but trailed both in the fourth quarter. Despite a tough 1-2 record, Virginia Tech is a much more formidable and talented opponent that has the ability to give Marshall a tough time on both sides of the ball. 

Why Marshall Will Cover The Spread

Marshall has emerged victorious in their first two games, but they were closer to escapes rather than controlling dominations. They come into this one with a week off to rest and prepare, which will benefit them on their home field. They played a strong fourth quarter against ECU in their last action two weeks ago, focusing on the rushing attack to ice the game and put the Pirates away. 

In the event that Wells is unable to go, the Marshall squad will be excited to go against the backup Kyron Drones. While he had a solid game against Rutgers, he has less experience and reps with the first team, and the Herd will be able to keep him in check in this low scoring game. With only 41 points expected by the Vegas line, the Herd will try to keep either QB out of the red zone with their strong rush defense.

If Marshall wants to exploit the weakness in Virginia Tech, they will have to keep the ball on the ground with Rasheen Ali, who had three touchdowns against ECU in their last game. The Hokies allowed a whopping 256 yards rushing to Rutgers, but only 46 in the air. Rutgers didn’t need to pass much with the rushing attack having success in all facets, and the Marshall coaching staff will certainly notice that in film study and work to replicate the results. 

Final Virginia Tech-Marshall Prediction & Pick

If Grant Wells is able to go for Virginia Tech and take on his former team, the Hokies will have success against an inflated Marshall squad who hasn’t been tested and was less than impressive against inferior opponents. Tech will need to stop the run and shut down Rasheen Ali, and their pass defense will do the rest to keep them close and have a chance to squeeze out a victory in the battle across state lines. The total comes in very low at just 41 points, so expect a strong defensive battle where Tech will only need a few touchdowns to cover or win.

Final Virginia Tech-Marshall Prediction & Pick: Virginia Tech +5.5 (-105)