It's been smooth sailing for the Kansas Jayhawks so far this season as the No. 3 ranked team in the country heads to Morgantown winners of nine of their last 10 games. They are among the best teams in college basketball at both ends of the court and the college basketball odds suggest this game should be a blowout.
West Virginia has struggled this season after getting rid of Bob Huggins, and while the Mountaineers are better at the WVU Coliseum, they are out of their depths for this Big 12 contest.
Join me as I break down this game and offer my best free college basketball picks and predictions for Kansas vs. West Virginia on Saturday, January 20.
Kansas vs West Virginia best odds
Kansas vs West Virginia picks and predictions
The Kansas Jayhawks can beat you in a multitude of ways. Whether it's through Hunter Dickinson down low, or with guard Kevin McCullar on the perimeter, containing this one-two punch has proved a tall task for everyone this season.
Dickinson is averaging 19.3 points, 1.8 assists, and 11.7 rebounds per game while McCullar is averaging 19.8ppg, 4.7apg on nearly 50% shooting from the floor.
One glance up and down this West Virginia roster and you can tell the Mountaineers are in trouble. While they have four guys averaging in double figures this season, led by Montana State transfer RaeQuan Battle, they are missing their second-leading scorer Jesse Edwards. Edwards would have been the one to battle Dickinson down low but now they have nobody with enough size or skill to slow down the Jayhawks' big man.
The Mountaineers are among the worst defensive teams in the country, boasting a defensive rating of 107.9, which has them ranked 276th in the country. Offensively (and shockingly) they rate out worse, sitting with a 101.3 rating which is good enough for 306th. They also boast a -75-point differential and have been getting beat up on the glass all season long.
In their latest loss, they allowed the Oklahoma Sooners to haul in 33 boards with 10 coming on the offensive glass. Kansas should have no issues cleaning up on the boards with Dickinson leading the way.
Given the fact that Kanas knocks down 51% shots from the floor, and has a Top 30 defensive rate, I don't see how WVU can hang around in this game.
These sneaky road games are usually the games where Bill Self earns his keep. I expect the Jayhawks head coach to have his team ready and focused on the task at hand.
My best bet: Kansas -9.5 (-110 at FanDuel)
Kansas vs West Virginia same-game parlay
Kansas -10
Over 146.5
In addition to our best bet, we are going to add the over 146.5.
For me, it's simple. Kansas should have no issues hitting 80 points in this contest. That's what the Jayhawks average on the season and now they get to go up against one of the worst defensive teams in all of college basketball.
The Mountaineers just have to do their part and hit 67, which is what they are averaging this year. Kansas has given up at least 65 in five straight games, so let's stick with them to not change their ways on Saturday.
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Kansas vs West Virginia spread and Over/Under analysis
Most books opened with the Jayhawks laying -10 points and the line has slowly shifted against Kansas by a half point, with the Jayhawks checking in at -9.5.
Given the way these two teams enter Saturday's game, the shift in odds is not surprising. WVU won't have enough to slow down Kansas and the Jayhawks should easily hit 80, if not 90 points.
Kansas has gone just 7-9 against the spread this season, but with a No. 3 ranking comes bulky and inflated lines. WVU has fared no better, owning a 6-11 ATS record.
The game total opened as high as 146.5 and has been bet up to 148.5.
Kansas vs West Virginia betting trend to know
Kansas has hit the moneyline in 21 of its last 28 games (+10.50 Units / 12% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Kansas vs. West Virginia.
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Kansas vs West Virginia game info
| Location: | WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, WV |
| Date: | Saturday, January 20, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | BIG12, ESPN+ |
Kansas vs West Virginia key injuries
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