Matchup analysis
Before kickoff our model projected Bethune-Cookman 37.8, Virginia Lynchburg 20.3 at Daytona Stadium in Week 3. That is a heavy edge: Bethune-Cookman wins about 87% of the time by our estimate, with a projected margin of 17.5 points and 58 combined points. Tags: favorite holds.
Virginia Lynchburg is 0-2, scoring 0 and allowing 50 points per game (-50 per game). Bethune-Cookman is 1-1, scoring 24.5 and allowing 45.5 points per game (-21 per game).
College football is noisy: even a well-rated projection misses the final margin by about 14 points on average. Based on how real results have scattered around our numbers, the final margin should land somewhere between Virginia Lynchburg by 5 and Bethune-Cookman by 40 about 80% of the time.
Bethune-Cookman gets about 2.1 points for playing at home. Even on a neutral field the ratings would still favour Bethune-Cookman by about 15.4.
Result: Virginia Lynchburg 3, Bethune-Cookman 62. The model had the right winner; the margin was off by 41.5 points and the total by 7.
Market lines
Market lines · Source: The Odds API, ESPN, Action Network · Updated Oct 29, 11:25 AM UTC. Shown for information; not an input to our projections.
No market line has been posted for this game yet.
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Original projection vs new formula
| Projection | Score | Win prob | Margin miss | Total miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original projection | Virginia Lynchburg 20.3, Bethune-Cookman 37.8 | Bethune-Cookman 87%right winner | 41.5 | 7.0 |
| New formula | Virginia Lynchburg 15.4, Bethune-Cookman 47.1 | Bethune-Cookman 98%right winner | 27.3 | 2.5 |
Final: Virginia Lynchburg 3, Bethune-Cookman 62. Original = the number we posted before kickoff. New formula (2026-10-21 matchup terms) = the current model re-run with only the games played before this one.
Virginia Lynchburg vs Bethune-Cookman: stat comparison
2025 season numbers (this season's sample is still too small).
| Stat | Virginia Lynchburg | Bethune-Cookman |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 8.7 | 29.7 |
| Points allowed per game | 55.7 | 32.7 |
| Yards per play | 3.95 | 6.34 |
| Yards per play allowed | 7.04 | 6.74 |
| Rushing yards per game | 91.3 | 174.1 |
| Net passing yards per game | 144.3 | 235.3 |
| Rushing yards allowed per game | 299.7 | 209.3 |
| Net passing yards allowed per game | 132.0 | 261.4 |
| Turnovers per game | 1.67 | 1.40 |
| Takeaways per game | 0.67 | 0.90 |
| Sacks per game | 0.00 | 1.70 |
| Sacks allowed per game | 5.00 | 2.00 |
| Stat | Virginia Lynchburg | Bethune-Cookman |
|---|---|---|
| EPA per play | -0.18 | +0.03 |
| EPA per play allowed | +0.06 | +0.17 |
| Success rate | 34.3% | 42.1% |
| Success rate allowed | 49.2% | 48.6% |
| Explosive play rate | 10.2% | 13.0% |
| Explosive plays allowed | 15.3% | 14.7% |
| Havoc rate | 10.0% | 12.3% |
| Havoc allowed | 17.1% | 13.5% |
| Points per scoring opportunity | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| Points per opportunity allowed | 3.66 | 4.48 |
| Average starting field position | opp 0 | opp 13 |
| Opponents' starting field position | opp 0 | opp 12 |
| Offensive plays per game (pace) | 59.7 | 64.6 |
| Stat | Virginia Lynchburg | Bethune-Cookman |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing EPA per play | -0.17 | -0.02 |
| Passing EPA per play | -0.19 | +0.10 |
| Rushing EPA allowed | +0.10 | +0.21 |
| Passing EPA allowed | -0.01 | +0.14 |
| Rushing success rate | 28.3% | 43.1% |
| Passing success rate | 26.4% | 45.0% |
| Run stuff rate | 29.1% | 18.2% |
| Passing-down success rate | 24.2% | 29.3% |
| Passing-down success allowed | 30.4% | 32.4% |
| Third-down conversion rate | 25.0% | 37.2% |
| Third-down rate allowed | 60.7% | 48.1% |
| Red-zone touchdown rate | 48.8% | 30.8% |
| Red-zone TD rate allowed | 57.6% | 69.9% |
# = rank among 136 FBS teams. Efficiency numbers exclude garbage time. Per-play numbers of teams with a weak schedule are pulled toward their opponent-adjusted values (fully at one standard deviation below an average schedule). Source: play-by-play (cfbfastR / sportsdataverse), aggregated by us.
More: Virginia Lynchburg schedule · Bethune-Cookman schedule · all Week 3 projections
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Projections are statistical estimates for entertainment and analysis only. They are not betting advice and nothing here guarantees any result.
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