The No. 6-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (19-4) welcome the No. 10-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (19-4) in a matchup that pits the Big 12’s top-ranked offense against the top-ranked defense. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 9 and will air on ES2 and ES3.
The Jayhawks come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, blowing out TCU 75-56 on Saturday. With 23 points and 10 rebounds, Perry Ellis recorded his third double-double of the season. The Mountaineers, meanwhile, are coming off an 80-69 win against Baylor on Saturday. Daxter Miles Jr. led the game in scoring with 20 points on 6-for-8 shooting.
This matchup pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Kansas currently ranks 19th in offensive efficiency and West Virginia is ninth in defensive efficiency.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Mountaineers winning the first matchup 74-63. Jaysean Paige had a stellar game with 26 points, four rebounds, and five steals.
The Jayhawks come into this game 19-4 Straight Up (SU) and 13-8 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. Kansas has been struggling of late. In the last 10 games, Kansas has only averaged 74.5 points per game compared to the 83.3 they’ve averaged on the season. Kansas has consistently been near the top of the nation in terms of field goal percentage, currently ranking 15th in the nation with a FG% of .488. Kansas is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.34. Expect Kansas to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Mountaineers, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the nation with an average of 24.0 fouls per game.
As for their opponent, the Mountaineers head into the game with records of 14-7 ATS and 19-4 SU. The Mountaineers rank 37th in the country in road scoring, averaging 76.3 points per game. West Virginia is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, hitting 19.0 shots from the line per game. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Mountaineers on the defensive end. They allowed 73.9 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 65.4. Teams with weak ball handling have not fared well against the Mountaineers, who lead the nation with 10.3 steals per game.
With the Mountaineers’ last win against Kansas, West Virginia moved closer to evening up its record against Kansas. It now stands at 3-4 SU over their most recent meetings. With a 5-2 record, the Mountaineers have the advantage ATS. West Virginia has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five matchups. Kansas has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – WVU, ATS Winner – WVU
Notes
Kansas is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 83.3 points per game (ranked 12th). West Virginia allows 65.4 points per game (ranked 33rd).
West Virginia has allowed an average of 72.2 points per away game this season. Kansas averages 86.6 points per home game, ranking 14th in scoring.
Kansas won its last game by a 19-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, West Virginia is 9-0. Kansas is 10-1 in blowouts this season.
The West Virginia Mountaineers rank 45th for their offensive rating of 113.1. The Kansas Jayhawks have a defensive rating of 96.1 (ranked 40th).
Kansas is ranked 15th in the country with an average field goal percentage of 48.8%. West Virginia is an even 2-2 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Kansas Jayhawks average 19.0 three point attempts per game, and the West Virginia Mountaineers attempt 18.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Kansas is 10-2 and West Virginia is 7-2.
Kansas ranks 43rd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.34. West Virginia is ranked lower at 162nd with an A/TO of 1.08.
West Virginia ranks among the best in the country in offensive rebounding at second, while Kansas ranks 47th in defensive rebounds.
Ranked second, West Virginia averages a forced turnover percentage of 26.5% this season. When the Kansas Jayhawks suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this, the team is winless with a 0-1 record.
