West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Kansas Jayhawks Predictions

West Virginia Mountaineers (16-16 SU, 14-18-0 ATS) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (25-6 SU, 14-17-0 ATS)
When: Thursday March 10 2022, 3:00 PM PM (ET)
Where: Sprint Center

Point Spread: West Virginia +9/Kansas -9
Total: 148
Money Line: Mountaineers +336/Kansas -454

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Key Injuries

West Virginia
W Virginia has no reported injuries at this time.: W Virginia has no reported injuries at this time. (W Virginia has no reported injuries at this time.)

Kansas
Bob Pettiford: Abdominal (OUT)
Kyle Cuffe Jr: Redshirt (OUT)

Recent Form

The West Virginia Mountaineers come into this matchup with an overall record of 16-16. On the season, the Mountaineers have struggled in Big 12 action. Through 19 games, the Mountaineers are 10th in the conference with a record of 5-14. Not only is West Virginia struggling in the Big 12, but they also have a below .500 record on the road, sitting at 4-11. Heading into this matchup, the Mountaineers are looking to stay hot, as they try to add on to their current 2 game win streak.

The Kansas Jayhawks get set to host the Mountaineers with an overall record of 25-6. On the season, the Jayhawks have performed well in their 18 conference games, posting a record of 14-4. This mark is good for 2nd in the Big 12. Like their opponent, they also are hoping to pick up their third straight win.

For the season, the West Virginia Mountaineers are averaging 68.6 points per game, good for a rank of 218th in the NCAA. When playing on the road, the Mountaineers’ scoring average drops to 66 points per game. The team’s defensive performance also takes a hit when playing away from home, giving up an additional 9.0 points per game. On the other side, the Kansas Jayhawks are the 16th ranked scoring offense, averaging 78.6 points per game while giving up 68.6 per game.

Efficiency Outlook

Kansas enters this matchup vs West Virginia, having played 19 games as the more efficient offense and defensive team. In these contests, they have posted a record of 17-2. Through 31 games, the Jayhawks are averaging 77.0 points per 70.0 possessions (NCAA Average), compared to 77.0 for the Jayhawks. In these situations, Kansas has an average scoring margin of 14.0 points. Until this point, the Mountaineers have not played a game in which they were the inferior team on both ends of the court. In terms of offensive efficiency, Kansas is averaging 77.0 points per 70.0 possessions (NCAA Average), compared to 69.0 for the Mountaineers.

I Don’t expect this game to be heavily dictated by three-point shooting, as both the Mountaineers and Jayhawks are near the bottom of the NCAA in the percentage of points from beyond the arc. So far, 27.6% of West Virginia’s points are coming from three-point shots. The same goes for Kansas, at 27.8%. In terms of efficiency, Kansas has been the more efficient team, connecting at a rate of 36.1%, compared to West Virginia at 32.5%.

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Betting Trends Worth Noting

• West Virginia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Kansas
• West Virginia is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Kansas
• Kansas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing West Virginia
• Kansas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing West Virginia

Joe’s Pick Against the Spread

Lesser teams haven’t fared well in back to backs this college basketball tournament season and I expect that trend to continue Thursday in Kansas City. Take the Jayhawks to blowout WVU! Question: Did you know that you could be betting for cheaper? Almost all sportsbooks charge the bettor -110 odds on sides and totals. Did you know that you could be laying only -105 at BetanySports? It doesn’t sound like much, but if you take a couple minutes to pencil out how much you’d have saved over the past year the numbers are astronomical! Be smart! Make the switch to reduced juice betting today! You’ll be SO glad you did! (Note: You must choose reduced juice over instead of the signup bonus when you sign up there). Click here to start saving big bucks TODAY!