The No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks could be in a position to top the polls on Monday, but first, they will have to win a Big 12 game on the road. The Jayhawks (13-1, 2-0) are one of four unbeaten teams in conference play as they face the West Virginia Mountaineers (10-4, 0-2) on Saturday. The defending champions will play three of the next four games on the road after Saturday’s road tilt, while the Mountaineers are looking for their first conference win of the season.
Last year the Jayhawks swept the season series with a 13-point win on the road and a 24-point win at home. They have won eight of the last 10 overall, and they have won two of the last three in Morgantown.
Saturday’s game at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown tips off at 6:00 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN+ and Big 12 Network. Kansas is favored by 2 points over West Virginia, and the game total is 143 points.
Jayhawks Riding Seven-Game Win Streak
Kansas had a close call on the road on Tuesday but prevailed 73-72 at Texas Tech to move to 2-0 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks are just 6-8 ATS this season, and they are 2-0 overall on the road with wins at Tech and Missouri. The Jayhawks have covered five of their last seven games and scored at least 75 points in all those covers.
Kansas ranks 37th in the nation in shooting from the field at 48.7 percent, and they are 65th in scoring at 77.9 ppg. Jalen Wilson leads the team in scoring at 20.6 ppg and rebounding at 8.4 per game. Freshman Grayson Dick averages 14.6 ppg and is shooting 46.8 percent from 3-point range with 37 makes on the season.
The Jayhawks‘ defense ranks in the top 50 in the nation allowing 65.1 ppg and 40 percent shooting from the field. Kansas averages 37.7 rebounds as a team to go with 4.1 blocks per game. They are also grabbing 9.5 steals per game while turning it over just 12.2 times per contest.
In their only loss of the season, Kansas scored just 50 points against Tennessee in the Bahamas. They have allowed more than 70 points in just three games all season and are 3-1 against ranked teams with wins over Duke, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
Mountaineers Defend the Home Court
The Mountaineers have started slowly in conference play with a four-point overtime loss at Kansas State and a seven-point loss at Oklahoma State. West Virginia hasn’t covered since December 10, but they are 7-7 ATS this season. Overall they are 7-0 at home, but none of those wins are against Power 5 teams.
West Virginia’s offense has been better than their defense so far this season. They are averaging 79.4 ppg and shooting 48 percent from the field, which both rank 42nd in the nation. However, the defense ranks 147th, allowing 67.4 ppg, and they hold opponents to 43 percent shooting which ranks 176th.
Coach Bob Huggins has a balanced offensive attack with five players all averaging at least 9.1 ppg. However, point guard Kedrian Johnson will miss Saturday’s game after suffering a concussion against Oklahoma State. Johnson is also WVU’s best on-the-ball defender, so the hosts will be tested against the No. 3 team in the nation.
Iowa transfer Joe Toussaint will likely get added minutes with Johnson out. Toussaint is averaging 9.8 ppg and 3.0 assists per game, while leading scorer Erik Stevenson can also handle point guard issues. Tre Mitchell leads the team with 5.4 rpg and scores 13.3 ppg, while Emmitt Matthews Jr. averages 10.7 ppg.
Kansas/West Virginia Betting Prediction
The favorite has won and covered in the last five meetings between these teams, and the host is 19-6 in the last 25 meetings. WVU hasn’t shot the ball well in their two conference losses, making just 9-of-36 (.25%) from deep with 35 turnovers.
Kansas has made 11 3-pointers in two straight games, both against conference opponents. With WVU allowing 31.6 percent from deep over the season, making this a bad matchup for the Mountaineers. It is hard enough to beat a team like Kansas when at full strength, and playing without their starting sixth-year point guard is not a good recipe for success.
The play here is to take Kansas as the small favorite and expect them to win the game outright on the road against an overmatched Mountaineers squad.
