Jayhawks on 5-Game Win Streak
The No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks go for a sixth straight win when they play host to the West Virginia Mountaineers in a key Big 12 contest on Saturday. Kansas is coming off a road win over TCU on Monday and is tied atop the conference standings with Texas.
West Virginia snapped a three-game losing streak with a home win over Oklahoma State on Monday and is tied for eighth in the league with Texas Tech but is still considered a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament. This game is important to both teams, so let’s take a closer look at the contest and help you determine the best way to bet online on the contest.
West Virginia Picks Up Important Win
The West Virginia Mountaineers were headed to being counted out of the NCAA Tournament after three straight losses, but they are still in most projections of the field after a streak-snapping 85-67 win over Oklahoma State on Monday. There’s still work to be done, as the Mountaineers are on the bubble with games against ranked squads Kansas, Iowa State and Kansas State on the schedule to end the regular season.
Senior guard Erik Stevenson had a big game against the Cowboys, scoring 23 points and hitting 5-of-6 from 3-point range while also grabbing five rebounds and recording two steals. It was his second straight game of 23 or more points, as he had 27 in the previous outing against Texas Tech. Stevenson is averaging a team-high 14.6 points and hitting 40% of his 3-point attempts this season.
Senior forward Tre Mitchell ranks second on the team with 11.5 points per game and is coming off a 22-point performance against Oklahoma State. That snapped a five-game streak of single-digit scoring games for Mitchell.
Kansas Rolling at Right Time
The Kansas Jayhawks have lost one game at home, and they’re coming off a rematch against the team that handed them that defeat, TCU, with yet another big victory. Kansas has been playing its best of late, and it hasn’tbeen one player, as six different players scored at least six points in Monday’s 63-58 win over the Horned Frogs.
“I’ve said all along, we’ve got five guys that can all go out there and play and take over the game. And that’s the beauty of our team,” Kansas forward Jalen Wilson said after Monday’s win. “We’re all going to have some type of effort to win. That’s part of a championship team.“
The Jayhawks were able to win on the road despite Wilson, the Big 12’s scoring leader, managing just seven points. He did add 13 rebounds and is averaging 19.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists this season.
Freshman guard Gradey Dick had 19 points and six rebounds in the win to lead the Kansas offense. Dick is averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals this season while shooting 40.7% from 3-point range.
West Virginia vs Kansas Game Injuries
West Virginia vs Kansas Head-To-Head
The Kansas Jayhawks topped the West Virginia Mountaineers in the first meeting of the season in January, giving Kansas four straight victories in the rivalry. The Jayhawks swept the regular-season series a season ago as well as beating the Mountaineers in the Big 12 Tournament.
Kansas has a 19-6 lead in the all-time series, including a 10-0 record at home against the Mountaineers. The college basketball lines for Saturday’s matchup are heavily favoring the Jayhawks to continue that dominance with an easy win.
West Virginia vs Kansas Information
- Game: West Virginia (16-12, 5-10 Big 12) vs Kansas (23-5, 11-4 Big 12)
- Location: Allen Fieldhouse
- Day/Time: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET
- West Virginia vs Kansas Live Stream: TBS.com
West Virginia vs Kansas Betting Lines
West Virginia vs Kansas Picks & Prediction
The West Virginia Mountaineers need to piece together some wins to improve their resume for the NCAA Tournament selection committee, but facing the Kansas Jayhawks on their home court isn’t the place to go for a victory. Kansas is looking like a national championship contender right now, and they’ll cruise to the home win on Saturday.
When doing your college basketball betting, take Kansas to win and cover at home.
West Virginia is listed at +415 in our Vegas lines. This means that if you wager $100 on West Virginia, you have a chance to win $415. Kansas is -550, offering a chance to win $18 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives West Virginia a 19.42% chance to win, with Kansas at 84.62%.