The West Virginia Mountaineers (9-2) travel to face off against the Kansas Jayhawks (9-2) on Tuesday, December 31st. This game will be played at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 2:00 ET.

West Virginia Mountaineers vs Kansas Jayhawks

The Mountaineers Are Coming Off A Win

West Virginia improved to 9-2 on the season with a 67-46 win over Mercyhurst on Sunday. The Mountaineers were heavy favorites at -32, but they didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 113 fell short of the 136 O/U line.

West Virginia led 35-22 at halftime and outscored Mercyhurst 32-24 in the second half.

The Jayhawks Are Coming Off A Win

Kansas improved to 9-2 this season with an 87-53 win over Brown on Sunday. The Jayhawks were heavy favorites at -24.5 and covered the spread with the victory. The total points for the game were 140, just under the O/U line of 145.5.

Kansas led 42-31 at halftime and clamped down defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 22 points while scoring 45 of their own.

Mountaineers Offense Breakdown

West Virginia put up 67 points in their latest game, shooting 48.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 53.8%. They connected on 60.6% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 5 of 19 threes for 26.3%.

Javon Small led the way with 19 points and 7 assists, while Aidan Reichert and Eduardo Andre each added 14 points. Andre was perfect from the field, going 6 for 6, and Toby Okani contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Jayhawks Offense Breakdown

Kansas put up 87 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 55.9%. They hit 56.5% of their two-point attempts and 36.4% from beyond the arc, connecting on 8 of 22 three-point tries.

Zeke Mayo was a standout, scoring 25 points in 25 minutes, shooting 66.7% overall and 62.5% from deep (5/8). He also added 8 rebounds and 4 assists. The Jayhawks finished with 17 assists and 11 offensive rebounds, while shooting 73.3% from the free-throw line (11/15).

Mountaineers Team Defense

West Virginia’s defense gave up 46 points in their last game, with their opponents shooting 48% from the field on 25/52 shooting. Inside the arc, they allowed 20/33 shooting, which is 60%.

From three-point range, West Virginia’s defense held their opponents to 5/19 shooting, or 26%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 18 times, where they hit 12 for 66%. West Virginia gave up 7 offensive rebounds.

Jayhawks Team Defense

West Virginia’s defense held their opponent to 46 points, despite allowing them to shoot 48% from the field. The Mountaineers gave up 20 two-point baskets on 33 attempts, a 60% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, West Virginia limited their opponent to 5 made threes on 19 attempts, a 26% shooting performance. They also sent them to the free-throw line 18 times, where they made 12, shooting 66%. The Mountaineers allowed 7 offensive rebounds.

Mountaineers vs Jayhawks Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, West Virginia has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 77 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
• Across their five previous home games, Kansas has an ATS mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-3 while averaging 65 points per game.
• The Mountaineers have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
• Kansas has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-2 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five games.

Mountaineers vs Jayhawks Prediction

For a pick on the point-spread in this Jayhawks vs. Mountaineers matchup, our bet is to grab the Mountaineers at +12.5. Even though our projections have the Jayhawks winning 76-70, we see the Mountaineers as the play on the point-spread.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 142.5, and our model projects the Mountaineers and Jayhawks to reach a combined total of 146 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.