Kansas vs West Virginia Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Thursday, March 9, 2023

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The No. 8 seed West Virginia Mountaineers (19-13, 7-11 Big 12) play in the Big 12 Tournament against the No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks (25-6, 13-5 Big 12) on Thursday at T-Mobile Center, starting at 3:00 PM.

The Jayhawks face the Mountaineers in a game that Kansas is currently a moderate favorite by 3.5 points. A 149.5-point over/under has been set for the matchup.

Kansas vs. West Virginia Odds

Point Spread for Kansas vs. West Virginia

The spread for this matchup is set at 3.5 points, with sportsbooks listing Kansas as the favorite.

Kansas vs. West Virginia Moneyline

As for the moneyline, Kansas has -170 odds to pick up the win, while West Virginia is listed at +146 to claim victory.

Over/Under

Finally, the over/under for the game is set at 149.5 points.

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Game Time and How to Watch

  • Game Day: Thursday, March 9, 2023
  • Game Time: 3:00 PM ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Location: Kansas City, Missouri
  • Arena: T-Mobile Center

Kansas vs. West Virginia Betting Trends

Kansas has 14 wins against the spread in 31 games this season. The Jayhawks have been chosen as favorites in 25 games this year and have walked away with the win 22 times (88%) in those games. Kansas’ games this year have gone over the point total 16 times in 32 opportunities (50%).

In West Virginia’s 32 games this season, it has 17 wins against the spread. The Mountaineers have won three of the 13 games they were the moneyline underdog this season (23.1%). West Virginia’s games this year have gone over the point total 21 times in 32 opportunities (65.6%).

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Kansas vs. West Virginia Key Players to Watch

Kansas

Jalen Wilson paces his team in both points (19.7) and rebounds (8.4) per contest, and also posts 2.5 assists. At the other end, he delivers 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocked shots. Kevin McCullar is putting up 11.1 points, 2.4 assists and 7.3 rebounds per contest. Gradey Dick posts 14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Defensively, he averages 1.5 steals and 0.3 blocked shots.
Dajuan Harris leads his squad in assists per game (6.3), and also puts up 8.6 points and 2.5 rebounds. Defensively, he delivers 2 steals and 0.4 blocked shots.

West Virginia

Erik Stevenson tops the Mountaineers in scoring (15.6 points per game) and assists (2.5), and averages 3.5 rebounds. He also averages 1.1 steals and 0.1 blocked shots. Tre Mitchell is the Mountaineers’ top rebounder (5.4 per game), and he contributes 11.7 points and 1.8 assists. Kedrian Johnson leads the Mountaineers in assists (3.2 per game), and puts up 11.3 points and 2.2 rebounds. He also averages 1.8 steals and 0.1 blocked shots. Emmitt Matthews Jr. is averaging 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, making 47.3% of his shots from the field.

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What you need to know about the Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas’ Big 12 games have hit the over seven out of 18 times this season. This season, the Jayhawks are averaging 75.6 points per game (87th-ranked in college basketball) and ceding 68.2 points per contest (123rd-ranked). With 33.5 boards per game, Kansas is 75th in college basketball. It cedes 32 rebounds per contest, which ranks 243rd in college basketball.

With 7.1 threes per game, Kansas ranks 212th in the country. It has a 34.8% shooting percentage from three-point land, which ranks 151st in college basketball. The Jayhawks are surrendering 6.6 treys per game (102nd-ranked in college basketball) this year, while allowing a 31.5% three-point percentage (56th-ranked).

The Jayhawks have gone 8-2 over their past 10 games, with a 6-4 record against the spread in that span. Kansas has gone over the total in four of its past 10 contests. Kansas has been racking up 74.8 points per game in its last 10 times on the court, an average that’s a little lower than the 75.6 it has scored over the course of the 2022-23 campaign. Kansas has been less stingy on defense as of late, giving up 69.8 points per game over its last 10 outings compared to the 68.2 points per game its opponents are averaging on the 2022-23 season.

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What you need to know about the West Virginia Mountaineers

West Virginia has put together a 10-9-0 ATS record so far this season in conference action. In 2022-23, the Mountaineers are 58th in college basketball on offense (76.8 points scored per game) and 200th on defense (70.8 points conceded). On the glass, West Virginia is 186th in college basketball in rebounds (31.6 per game). It is 58th in rebounds conceded (29 per game).

West Virginia is 181st in the country in 3-pointers made (7.4 per game) and 119th in 3-point percentage (35.2%). In 2022-23, the Mountaineers are 83rd in the nation in 3-pointers allowed (6.5 per game) and 194th in defensive 3-point percentage (34%).

The Mountaineers are 7-3 against the spread and 6-4 overall in their last 10 games. West Virginia has gone over the total in seven of its last 10 outings. Over its past 10 games, West Virginia is averaging 76.6 points per contest, 0.2 fewer points than its season average (76.8). While the Mountaineers are giving up 70.8 points per game in 2022-23, they have been worse over their previous 10 games, allowing 73.8 points per contest.

Kansas vs. West Virginia Prediction & Pick

Our pick to win this matchup is Kansas, and we predict that West Virginia will cover the spread (Kansas -3.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going under the posted total of 149.5 points.

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How to bet Kansas vs. West Virginia

You can bet on Kansas vs. West Virginia at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.

And if you wanted to check out how much you could win on a $10 bet if you parlayed today’s Kansas vs. West Virginia picks, don’t forget to check out our free parlay calculator.

Not sure what a parlay is? Or even how to bet on college basketball? Check out our complete guide to sports betting.

WRITTEN BY

Matt Rooney

Matt comes from Chicago and has lived in the area his whole life. Graduated from and played football at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL while also serving as the director of student sports broadcasting. He writes for Betsperts as well as appears on several shows across the network.

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