A shootout should be expected from the No. 10-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (20-6) and No. 3-ranked Oklahoma Sooners (20-5) when two of the nation’s top scoring offenses battle it out at WVU Coliseum. Action begins at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 20 and can be seen on ESP and ES3.
The Mountaineers fell to Texas 85-78 on Tuesday. Devin Williams had a good game in defeat for West Virginia, recording 18 points and 12 rebounds to earn his 12th double-double of the season. The Sooners, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their tough 65-63 loss to Texas Tech on Wednesday. Jordan Woodard had a good shooting night, leading the game with 25 points.
The Mountaineers do a great job at getting to the charity stripe. They rank sixth in the nation in FTA rate (47.1), but Oklahoma is among the best in the nation at keeping opponents off the line (ranking 11th by allowing a FTA rate of 26.4). Also, the Sooners’s 26th-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 114.4) will face off against the 10th-ranked defense of the Mountaineers (defensive efficiency of 92.7).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Sooners won the first game 70-68. Despite the loss, Jaysean Paige had a standout performance with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block, and two three-pointers.
The Mountaineers enter the game with records of 20-6 Straight Up (SU) and 15-9 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. The Mountaineers come into the game with the 29th-ranked scoring offense in the nation, averaging 80.0 points per game. West Virginia is known to control the offensive glass, where it racks up an impressive 16.2 offensive rebounds per game. The West Virginia defense has done poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 71.7 points per game, well above their season average of 65.6. Opponents have consistently had the ball stolen by the Mountaineers, who lead the country in steals per game with 10.2.
In the other locker room, the Sooners head into the game with records of 10-13 ATS and 20-5 SU. During the last 10 games, they averaged 71.5 PPG, below their 82.8 PPG season average. The Oklahoma defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .402 shooting from the field to its opponents. They average 5.4 blocks per game, good for 20th in the nation. One advantage for the Sooners could be West Virginia’s high fouls per game average of 23.8.
Oklahoma won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bumping its SU record over their most recent meetings to 7-3. With a 6-4 record, the Sooners also have the advantage ATS. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – WVU, ATS Winner – WVU
Notes
“West Virginia is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games “.
“West Virginia is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games “.
“West Virginia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“West Virginia is 18-1 SU in its last 19 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 7 of West Virginia’s last 8 games at home”.
“West Virginia is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Oklahoma”.
“West Virginia is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Oklahoma”.
West Virginia averages 80.0 points per game (ranked 29th). Oklahoma, on the other hand, allows 71.4 points per game (ranked 145th).
West Virginia scores 83.8 points per home game (ranked 32nd). Oklahoma ranks a poor 155th in points allowed on the road, allowing 75.4 points.
In its last game, Oklahoma lost by a margin of two points. West Virginia is 0-1 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Oklahoma has a 5-2 record in close games.
Ranked 10th, the West Virginia Mountaineers have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 92.7 points per 100 possessions. The Oklahoma Sooners rank 26th in offense, scoring 114.4 points in the same number of possessions.
West Virginia has an average field goal percentage of 45.5%. Oklahoma is 4-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The West Virginia Mountaineers rank higher based on their field goal percentage (105th) than their effective field goal percentage (184th). The Oklahoma Sooners rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (23rd) than their field goal percentage (62nd).
West Virginia ranks 77th in assists, recording 15.0 per game. Oklahoma ranks 69th with 15.2 assists per game.
The Oklahoma Sooners average 5.4 blocks per game, the 20th-ranked team in the country. The West Virginia Mountaineers rank a lowly 287th in blocking with just 2.5 per game.
West Virginia ranks among the best in the nation in offensive rebounding at second, while Oklahoma ranks a solid 12th in defensive rebounds.
Though West Virginia is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TO% of 26.1% (ranked second), Oklahoma is undefeated (2-0) when its TO% is 26.1% or greater.
