An intriguing matchup between two high-scoring teams with different approaches on defense will lock horns this Saturday in Lawrence, as the No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers and No. 13 Kansas Jayhawks play in an intriguing Big 12 matchup. More about this game below. Register to bet and wager with your pick.
Betting Preview for the West Virginia Mountaineers vs Kansas Jayhawks College Basketball Game on February 17, 2018
Where: Allen Fieldhouse
When: Saturday, February 17, 6:00PM EST
Line: West Virginia Mountaineers () vs Kansas Jayhawks () –view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the West Virginia Mountaineers (18-6)
By and large, despite their recent struggles, the Mountaineers are still a terrifying team to face, mostly because of their suffocating defense.
Although they lost to Kansas in the first meeting this season, the Mountaineers definitely felt “Press Virginia” as the Jayhawks committed 13 turnovers and shot only 44.1 percent in a 71-66 win in Morgantown on Jan. 15. Still, WVU still limited Kansas way below the Jayhawks’ season norm of 81.7 points per game. Don’t expect West Virginia to let up on its defense against Kansas this Saturday in Lawrence, where the Mountaineers are 2-1 ATS in their last three visits there.
The Mountaineers are limiting opponents to only 68.0 points per game, and recently held the high-scoring teams of Oklahoma and TCU to an average of 69.5 points. Both the Sooners and the Horned Frogs are averaging more than 80 points per game this season. Speaking of offense, the Mountaineers putting up 81.0 points per contest.
Betting on the Kansas Jayhawks (19-6)
Kansas has never lost a game to West Virginia- — ever. The Jayhawks are 5-0 SU in their last five games as the home team versus the Mountaineers, and they intend to stay unblemished in Lawrence in this head-to-head series.
In the Jayhawks’ most recent meeting the West Virginia, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk led the team with 17 points while his backcourt partner, Devonte Graham put up 16 markers. The pair is expected to carry the Jayhawks, as they are the team’s top two scorers. Graham paces the Jayhawks with 17.7 points per game, while Mykhailiuk collects 15.8 points per outing. There are three more Jayhawks that average at least 11.9 points per game, so when it comes to scoring, the Jayhawks are one of the most stacked teams in the nation. They are 32nd nationally with 81.7 points per game on a solid 48.9 percent shooting from the field.
They are unlikely to have as much success against WVU on offense as they usually do, but the Jayhawks are always going to find a way to score. They are 13th with 17.3 assists per game and ninth in field goals made per contest with a 30.2 average.
Writer’s Prediction:
West Virginia wins, 78-75.
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