Kansas Jayhawks at West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Preview
07 January 2023
Saturday is always a big day for college basketball, and there is a terrific matchup set to take place in the Big 12 Conference. The West Virginia Mountaineers host the Kansas Jayhawks, and both teams should be in the mix for a conference title all season long.
Kansas comes into this game as the number three ranked team in the country, and they are also the defending national champions. The Jayhawks are 13-1 on the year, and they have also rattled off seven straight victories.
West Virginia comes into this game with an overall record of 10-4, and they haven’t been playing their best basketball of late. The Mountaineers have dropped two straight games, and they are trying to bounce back with a huge win over a Top 5 team.
The Kansas Jayhawks are slim two-point betting favorites over the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday.
Kansas Solid On Both Ends
Kansas just continues to play extremely well on both ends of the floor, and they are also a team that has plenty of depth. The Jayhawks are scoring 77.9 points per game this season, and they are also holding opponents to just 65 points per game.
Forward Jalen Wilson has turned into one of the best players in the country, and he is scoring over 20 points per game this season for the Jayhawks. Kansas has been efficient on the offensive end of the floor, as they are shooting better than 48 percent from the field.
The Jayhawks did just give up 72 points to Texas Tech in their most recent game, but they are typically a team that holds opponents in the 60s. Kansas doesn’t want to get into a shootout on the road with the Mountaineers.
Mountaineers Scoring Some Points
West Virginia comes into this game scoring nearly 80 points per contest, and they won’t be afraid to take some quick shots in this one. The Mountaineers are shooting nearly 48 percent from the field, but part of that is because they are able to get easy scores with their defense.
Guard Erik Stevenson leads the team with 14.1 points per game, and he is capable of getting hot in a hurry. The Mountaineers are going to struggle with the Kansas size, but they will make things happen on offense.
West Virginia will use a full-court press throughout the game to keep Kansas from dominating in the paint. If they are able to force some turnovers, then this game will be interesting.
West Virginia Pulls Upset at Home
Even though most would agree that Kansas is the most complete team in the Big 12 Conference, they are still prone to getting upset. The Jayhawks are going to face some tough environments on the road, and that is going to be the case in this game.
West Virginia is going to do whatever they can to speed up the tempo in this game, and they will force Kansas into some mistakes. This is a game that should come down to the wire, and it will be the Mountaineers that find a way to pick up the victory.
Bet the West Virginia Mountaineers moneyline as they put together a great game and come away with an upset win over the Kansas Jayhawks.
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All Media on this page by Associated Press.
