The Kansas Jayhawks (15-2) travel to face off against the West Virginia Mountaineers (6-11) on Saturday, January 20th. This game will be played at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown and televised on ESPN+. Kansas is coming off a win in their previous game, while West Virginia is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Oklahoma. Tip-off is set for 4:00 ET.
Kansas Jayhawks vs West Virginia Mountaineers
The Kansas Jayhawks Are Coming Off A Win
With a 15-2 record, Kansas enters this game as the favorite for the 17th time this season. They are 15-2 in those games, and they have gone 10-0 at home compared to 5-2 on the road. Their average scoring margin is +15.9 at home compared to +8.6 on the road.
Over their last 10 games on the road, the Jayhawks have gone 7-3, and they are coming off a 90-66 win over Oklahoma State. For the season, they are 3-1 in Big 12 play and 12-1 in non-conference games.
On the season, Kansas has an ATS record of 7-10, including a mark of 2-5 on the road. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Jayhawks are just 4-6 vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 147.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Kansas’ games this season (145.6). So far, 10 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and their games this season have averaged 145.5 points.
The West Virginia Mountaineers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
West Virginia will enter this game as a 10.5-point underdog, and they are 1-8 this season when they are the underdog. They are 6-8 at home this year, and they have gone 4-6 in their last 10 games at home.
On the other side, Kansas is 5-3 when they are the favorite, and they have gone 1-2 in their last three games on the road. The Jayhawks are 15-2 this season, and they have won their last three games.
As the underdog, West Virginia has gone 3-6 vs. the spread this season and 7-10 overall. Their ATS mark at home is 6-8 and they are 4-6 in their last 10 home games vs. the spread.
This season, the over/under record for West Virginia games is 9-8 and today’s line of 147.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (139.7). Over their last three games, the OU record is 2-1 and the average scoring total in those games is 145 points.
Kansas Offense Breakdown
Kansas finished with 90 points in their game against Oklahoma State. This total surpasses their season-average of 79.2 points per game. The team’s top scorer is Kevin McCullar Jr., who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 19.8, while Hunter Dickinson also maintains a PPG average of 19.3 leading up to the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin McCullar Jr. (G) | 19.8 | 6.5 | 4.7 |
| Hunter Dickinson (C) | 19.3 | 11.7 | 1.8 |
| KJ Adams Jr. (F) | 12.8 | 5.0 | 3.2 |
West Virginia Offense Breakdown
In their previous game, the Mountaineers’ offense finished with 63 points, which is right in line with their current average of 67.6 points per contest. The top scorer for the Mountaineers was Noah Farrakhan with 14 points, while Raequan Battle also chipped in with 12 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quinn Slazinski (F) | 14.1 | 4.6 | 2.0 |
| Jesse Edwards (C) | 14.8 | 8.7 | 1.1 |
| Raequan Battle (G) | 19.0 | 4.3 | 0.9 |
Kansas Team Defense
This season, the Kansas defense has been impressive, holding the 57th position in the country while permitting an average of 66.3 points per contest. Kansas’ three-point defense is currently 139th in the country at 7.4 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 39.7% of their shots vs. Kansas.
West Virginia Team Defense
West Virginia’s defense is currently in line with the NCAA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 72.0 points per game. So far, the West Virginia defense is giving up an average of 9.9 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 11.4 times per game (508th).
Jayhawks vs Mountaineers Trends
- Across the Jayhawks last five road games, the team averaged 74 points per game while allowing 68. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 3-2 straight-up.
- Across their five previous home games, West Virginia has an ATS mark of 1-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-5 while averaging 59 points per game.
- Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Mountaineers have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
- The Jayhawks have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 4-1 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.
Jayhawks vs Mountaineers Prediction
The Mountaineers come in as the underdog at +10.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 147.5 and our model has the Jayhawks and Mountaineers finishing with a combined 143 points. Our pick is to take the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 20, 2024 Kansas Jayhawks, Uncategorized, West Virginia Mountaineers