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After having their last three games postponed due to COVID-19 related issues, No. 14 West Virginia Mountaineers will finally return to the hardwood on Saturday when traveling to Manhattan, KS, to take on the sputtering Kansas State Wildcats.
WVU (9-4, 2-3 Big XII) was last in action two weeks ago on Jan. 9 when they were stunned by an Andrew Jones three with 1.8 seconds left in a 72-70 home loss to No. 5 Texas. Despite finding themselves at the bottom of the Big XII in terms of shooting at 41.6 percent from the field, the Mountaineers have been efficient on both ends of the floor by ranking the top 25 in both offensive and defensive adjusted efficiency per KenPom.
That’s aided by the fact that the Miles McBride and Derek Culver-led squad leads the Big XII in rebounding (41.3 rpg) and is third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.14).
Kansas State (5-10, 1-6), meanwhile, has been in a free fall as they’ve yet to record a victory in the calendar year of 2021 with five straight losses in conference. KSU’s last four losses have come by double-digits, the latest being a 76-50 pasting at the hands of Oklahoma on Tuesday.
The Wildcats are getting schooled on both ends, only shooting 41.7 percent from the field and yielding a league worst 48.7 percent to opponents.
Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming
You can watch West Virginia vs. Kansas State on Saturday, January 23rd at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2, or you can via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login. If you don’t have a cable login to access the app, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream it.
Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends
Point spread: WVU -11
Point Total: 135
Money line: West Virginia -770, Kansas State +550
- West Virginia are 3-6 ATS in their last nine, and the total has gone over in four of their last five.
- Kansas State are 4-10 vs. the number in their last 14, with the total going under in five of seven.
The Best Bet
We can give you lots of deep analysis here if you want it, but sometimes it’s easier just to say “Kansas State is bad and slow.” WVU will get some easy baskets, but that’s not their style either. Look for lots of bricks and the occasional putback today.
Pick: Under 135
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