Kansas vs. West Virginia Big 12 Tournament Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 9, 2023

The No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks (25-6, 13-5 Big 12) play the No. 8 seed West Virginia Mountaineers (19-13, 7-11 Big 12) as 3.5-point favorites in the Big 12 Tournament Thursday at T-Mobile Center, starting at 3:00 PM on ESPN. Both teams will look to take one step closer to earning an automatic place in the NCAA Tournament bracket. The matchup has an over/under of 149.5 points.

Kansas vs. West Virginia Odds

• Kansas odds to win: -170
• West Virginia odds to win: +146
• Spread: Kansas (-3.5)
• Total: 149.5

Kansas vs. West Virginia Promo Codes

Game Time and Information

• Date: Thursday, March 9, 2023
• Time: 3:00 PM ET
• TV: ESPN
• Where: Kansas City, Missouri
• Venue: T-Mobile Center

Who Will Win Kansas vs. West Virginia?

Kansas and West Virginia Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread

Kansas has a 7-12 record against the spread this season when favored by 3.5 points or more.

In games this season in which it was an underdog by 3.5 points or more, West Virginia has a 4-3 record against the spread.

The two teams average a combined 2.9 more points per game (152.4) than this game’s total of 149.5 points.

Opponents of these teams have averaged a combined 139 points per game, 10.5 fewer than the point total for this game.

The average point total in Kansas’ games this season is 5.7 fewer points than the over/under of 149.5 in this matchup.

The average over/under for Mountaineers games this season is 1.9 fewer points than the point total of 149.5 for this outing.

So far this season, the Jayhawks have compiled a 14-17-0 record against the spread.

The Mountaineers are 17-15-0 against the spread this year.

Kansas Stats & Insights

Kansas outscores opponents by 7.4 points per game (scoring 75.6 per game to rank 87th in college basketball while allowing 68.2 per outing to rank 123rd in college basketball) and has a +228 scoring differential overall.

Kansas ranks 75th in the country at 33.5 rebounds per game. That’s 1.5 more than the 32 its opponents average.

The Jayhawks connect on 7.1 three-pointers per game (212th in college basketball) compared to their opponents’ 6.6. They shoot 34.8% from deep while their opponents hit 31.5% from long range.

Kansas’ 95.7 points per 100 possessions on offense rank 128th in college basketball, and the 86.4 points it allows per 100 possessions rank 62nd in college basketball.

The Jayhawks are posting 78.8 points per game when playing at home. In away games, they are averaging 74 points per contest.

West Virginia Stats & Insights

West Virginia has a +191 scoring differential, topping opponents by six points per game. It is putting up 76.8 points per game, 58th in college basketball, and is giving up 70.8 per contest to rank 200th in college basketball.

West Virginia wins the rebound battle by 2.6 boards on average. It records 31.6 rebounds per game, 186th in college basketball, while its opponents pull down 29.

West Virginia knocks down 7.4 three-pointers per game (181st in college basketball) at a 35.2% rate (119th in college basketball), compared to the 6.5 its opponents make, shooting 34% from beyond the arc.

West Virginia’s 98 points per 100 possessions on offense rank 75th in college basketball, and the 90.4 points it concedes per 100 possessions rank 145th in college basketball.

At home, the Mountaineers score 79.4 points per game. Away, they average 71.6.

Kansas Key Players to Watch

Jalen Wilson leads the Jayhawks in scoring and rebounding, accumulating 19.7 points and 8.4 boards per game.

Dajuan Harris is Kansas’ best passer, dispensing 6.3 assists per game while scoring 8.6 PPG.

Gradey Dick leads the Jayhawks in three-point shooting, knocking down an average of 2.4 shots per game from beyond the arc.

Kevin McCullar is Kansas’ leader in steals, averaging 2.1 steals per game, while KJ Adams leads them in blocks with 0.8 per contest.

West Virginia Key Players to Watch

Erik Stevenson is at the top of the Mountaineers scoring leaderboard with 15.6 points per game. He also grabs 3.5 rebounds and averages 2.5 assists per game.

Tre Mitchell has a stat line of 5.4 rebounds, 11.7 points and 1.8 assists per game for West Virginia to take the top rebound spot on the team. Kedrian Johnson holds the top spot for assists with 3.2 per game, adding 11.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest.

Stevenson is reliable from three-point range and leads the Mountaineers with 2.4 made threes per game.

Johnson (1.8 steals per game) is the steal leader for West Virginia while James Okonkwo (0.7 blocks per game) is the block leader.

Kansas vs. West Virginia Prediction

• Pick ATS:

  West Virginia (+3.5)
  

• Pick OU:

  Under (149.5)
  

• Prediction:
  Kansas 74, West Virginia 72

How to Bet on Kansas vs. West Virginia

And for more CBB game previews, NCAA basketball picks or even how to bet on college basketball check out the latest NCAAB lines on Betsperts.