Last Updated on March 19, 2010 8:00 am by drew
WVU-Morgan St. Pick
Friday’s slate of games for March Madness begins at 12:15PM ET when West Virginia faces off with Morgan State.
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This contest is part of the East Regional and will take place from the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Mountaineers are the No. 2 seed and the Bears are the No. 15 seed.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made West Virginia 17.5-point favorites over Morgan State on Friday afternoon. The over/under has been set at 138.
West Virginia is making its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance and third straight showing in the Big Dance. The Mountaineers are 27-6 on the year and finished 13-5 in the Big East Conference, winning the Big East Tournament. WVU scores 72.8 points per-game, which ranks 84th in the country. The Mountaineers give up 63.8 points per-game, which ranks 57th. WVU has four players that score nearly 10 points per-game. De’Sean Butler averages 17.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per-game while Kevin Jones averages 13.5 points and 7.1 rebounds. Devin Ebanks adds 11.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per-contest.
Morgan State is making its second straight tournament appearance and they are the only two in school history for the Bears. The Bears are 27-9 on the year and 15-1 in the Mid-Eastern Conference, where the Bears won the conference tournament to lock up the automatic bid. The Bears score 76.8 points per-game, which ranks 31st in the nation and Morgan State gives up 70.3 points per-contest, which ranks 203rd in the country. Reggie Holmes leads Morgan State as he posts 21.8 points per-game this season. Kevin Thompson chips in with 12.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per-game.
West Virginia has been a solid team all year and the Mountaineers have been playing their best at heading into the tournament. While Morgan State can score, the Bears are weak on defense. WVU’s strength also is in rebounding, as it will give the Bears few second chances. So, while the score may be high, the Mountaineers should have no problem covering in the process.
Our NCAA Tournament Free Pick for this matchup is: WEST VIRGINIA -17.5 and OVER 138
March Madness Betting Trends
West Virginia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of West Virginia’s last 5 games
West Virginia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
March Madness Injury Report
WEST VIRGINIA
No Injuries Reported
MORGAN ST
[F] 12/07/2009 – Anthony Anderson out for season ( Illness )
March Madness Game Odds
West Virginia Mountaineers -17.5 Over 138
Morgan State Bears +17.5 Under 138
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Posted: 3/19/10 8:00AM ET