The No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks (+2,800 to win the conference) are not used to lagging behind the race to the top of the Big 12 standings, but that’s exactly the predicament they are dealing with right now, with the Kansas State Wildcats pacing the rest of the conference. Still, the Jayhawks can catch up on K-State, especially if they could down the West Virginia Mountaineers, (+50,000) who beat Kansas last month.
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Betting Preview for the West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Kansas Jayhawks College Basketball Game on February 16, 2019
Where: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas
When: Saturday, February 16, 2019, 4:00 PM ET
Line: West Virginia Mountaineers (odds) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the West Virginia Mountaineers (10-14 Overall / 2-9 Conference)
This season has been undeniably hard for the Mountaineers, who are currently not included in Joe Lunardi’s bracket. And their struggles continues following a 75-53 home loss to the Texas Longhorns last Saturday. It was the Mountaineers’ fifth loss in six games, though, four of those defeats were against ranked teams. Unlike in previous seasons, West Virginia’s offense and defense do not look imposing. In fact, the Mountaineers are just 10th in the Big 12 in offensive efficiency and ninth in defensive efficiency. Those facts don’t bode well for them heading into a showdown with Kansas in Lawrence, but somehow West Virginia upset the Jayhawks back in January in Morgantown to the tune of a 65-64 win. West Virginia’s defense looked like its old self in that game, forcing Kansas to commit 18 turnovers. The Mountaineers are fourth in the conference with an 18.5 defensive turnover efficiency.
The over is 3-2 in the Mountaineers’ last five road games.
Betting on the Kansas Jayhawks (19-6 Overall / 8-4 Conference)
The Jayhawks’ road to the top of the Big 12 title is not as easy as it used to be for them. For one, they are missing plenty of key players who are supposed to play a huge role in them being a favorite to win the conference. They are playing without big men Udoka Azubuike and Silvio De Sousa. In addition to that, they are also missing the services of Lagerald Vick, who is the team’s second-leading scorer this season. Vick is on an indefinite leave because of an unknown reason, though, Kansas still found a way without him to beat the TCU Horned Frogs on the road last Monday, 82-77. Based on that win, however, it seems that Kansas is capable of covering the void temporarily left by Vick on offense, as Devon Dotson and Ochai Agbaji scored 25 and 20 points against the Horned Frogs. Also, the Jayhawks still have arguably the best player in the Big 12 in the form of Dedric Lawson, who had 15 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to West Virginia last month. The Jayhawks are second in the league with 76.9 points per game on 47.0 percent shooting from the field.
Kansas is 6-0 straight up (SU) and 4-2 against the spread (ATS) in its last six home games against the Mountaineers.
Writer’s Prediction
Kansas wins, 80-67.
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