Would you bet West Virginia to win Big 12 championship at 15-to-1?

Nick Kwiatkoski and West Virginia are 15-1 longshots to win the 2015 Big 12 championship, according to sportsbook operator CG Technology.

 

The oddsmakers continue to serve as newsmakers with regard to the upcoming college football season. On Monday, CG Technology released its conference champion odds for the Power Five.

West Virginia was positioned as a 15-1 dark horse to win the Big 12 title, with only Texas Tech (20-1), Iowa State (25-1) and Kansas (100-1) facing longer odds.

The Mountaineers return 10 defensive starters but face uncertainties along the offensive line and must replace top receivers Kevin White and Mario Alford. There’s also much to prove for relatively inexperienced quarterback Skyler Howard, not to mention the annual scheduling rotation that sends West Virginia traveling for five league road games.

Not to quibble with the sportsbook’s math—after all, these gaming companies are experts at finding the betting public’s sweet spot—but 15-1 doesn’t strike me as enough reward to bet the Mountaineers. They seem like a better fit at 25-1, with Iowa State more of a 35-1 flavor. (Kansas, poor Kansas, might as well be 1,000-1.)

As for the Big 12’s favorites, TCU (17-10) and Baylor (5-2) remain at the forefront, followed by Oklahoma (4-1) and Oklahoma State (5-1). Texas weighs in at 7-1 and Kansas State at 10-1.