Mountaineers vs. Jayhawks Prediction
The West Virginia Mountaineers won as big underdogs last night and will look to keep it rolling tonight against the 17th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 Conference Tournament semifinals. Can West Virginia get it done again as underdogs?
Game Snapshot
845 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. 846 Kansas Jayhawks
Friday, March 15, 2019
Sprint Center at 9PM ET
TV: ESPN2
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Jayhawks are an 11-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 147 points. As of Friday afternoon, 61 percent of public bets are being placed on West Virginia. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for up-to-date information.
Mountaineers stun Red Raiders
West Virginia posted a 79-74 victory Thursday night over Big 12 Conference regular season co-champion and seventh-ranked Texas Tech. The Mountaineers (14-19) led 38-29 at halftime and did not relent after the break. West Virginia shot 26-of-67 from the floor, 7-of-19 from 3-point range plus 20-of-22 at the free throw line. Emmitt Matthews Jr. led the way with 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting including 2-of-4 from 3-point distance plus 6-of-6 at the free throw line. He also contributed eight rebounds and two steals. Jordan McCabe accounted for 13 points, eight assists, four boards and four steals. Jermaine Haley accounted for 11 points, five boards, three assists and two steals. Lamont West added 10 points, five rebounds and two dimes.
Jayhawks down Longhorns
Kansas earned a 65-57 win over Texas Thursday night in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals. The Jayhawks (24-8) outscored the Longhorns 36-28 in the second half to notch the win. Kansas shot 23-of-55 from the field, 3-of-11 from 3-point distance plus 16-of-22 at the free throw line. Devon Dotson led the Jayhawks with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting including 1-of-1 from 3-point range plus 4-of-5 at the free throw line. He also tallied four rebounds and four assists. Dedric Lawson tallied 16 points, six boards and two assists. David McCormack accounted for 13 points and nine rebounds. Quentin Grimes added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.
College Basketball Betting Trends
West Virginia
The Mountaineers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall. West Virginia is 2-6 ATS in its last eight neutral court games.
Kansas
The Jayhawks are 7-2 ATS in their last nine Friday games. Kansas is 4-1 ATS in its last five neutral site games.
Prediction:
West Virginia is the Cinderella story here, at least as far as major conferences go. After a dismal regular season, the Mountaineers have found their footing with tournament wins over Oklahoma and Texas Tech. While another win would be a shock, I’m going to bank on the Mountaineers’ confidence carrying over here. As long as West Virginia can put a bit of a scare into a Kansas squad that doesn’t play nearly as well away from home, they should be able to stay within this number.
NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS +11