After failing to win the Big 12 regular season title for only the third time in the Bill Self era and watching Baylor celebrate March Madness glory, Kansas is on its way to reclaiming its place atop the Big 12 this season.
As they prepare to visit struggling West Virginia tonight, the Jayhawks hold a one and a half game lead over Baylor and Texas Tech in the Big 12 standings. With six regular season games and the Big 12 Tournament remaining, Kansas is projected to be a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But they must finish strong to lock up that top seed, starting with a tricky trip to Morgantown.
West Virginia, meanwhile, is currently dwelling in the Big 12 cellar and needs a huge finish to work their way into NCAA Tournament contention.
Kansas vs. West Virginia College Basketball Matchup Info and Betting Odds
- Game Matchup: #6 Kansas Jayhawks (21-4, 10-2 Big 12, 1st in Big 12) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (14-11, 3-9 Big 12, 10th in Big 12)
- Venue & Location: WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, West Virginia)
- Date: Saturday, February 19, 2022
- Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
Betting Odds
- Spread: Kansas -4.5 (-110), West Virginia +4.5 (-110)
- Total: OVER 145.5 (-110), UNDER 145.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Kansas -225, West Virginia +175
Kansas vs. West Virginia college basketball odds are via BetMGM.
Can West Virginia Trip Kansas in Morgantown Once Again?
When these two teams last met, Kansas trounced West Virginia 85-59 in Lawrence a little over a month ago.
At the time, the Mountaineers were 13-2 and 2-1 in the Big 12, with their only losses to Marquette and Texas. But since that blowout at Allen Fieldhouse, things have completely fallen apart for West Virginia. They have lost nine of 11 games, with their only win coming against Iowa State last week.
There are a lot of culprits for this collapse, but the biggest one is on the defensive end. Before the loss to the Jayhawks, the Mountaineers were putting up strong defensive numbers.
Ten of their first 15 opponents were held to 60 or fewer points, and only three had hit the 70-point mark: Marquette (an 82-71 loss in the Charleston Classic), Eastern Kentucky (an 80-77 home win), and Texas (a 74-59 road loss).
West Virginia’s 2021-22 Defensive Splits
- First 15 Games (13-2): 61.3 PPG allowed
- Past 10 Games (1-9): 75.2 PPG allowed
Starting with the loss at Kansas, West Virginia has allowed 70+ points eight times in their past ten games. That defensive drop-off is catastrophic, given that they are not geared towards being a prolific team offensively.
In their 13-2 start, the Mountaineers averaged 69.7 points per game and scored 70+ points eight times. That isn’t much to write home about, but when you are stout defensively, it is more than enough.
However, in their past ten games, they have averaged only 66.2 points per game and hit the 70-point mark only three times.
But if there is any time for the Mountaineers to rediscover their best defensive effort, a visit from the Jayhawks is it.
Since West Virginia joined the Big 12, Morgantown has not been a pleasant place for Kansas to visit.
- 2012-13 (January 28, 2013): #2 Jayhawks 61, Mountaineers 56
- 2013-14 (March 8, 2014): Mountaineers 92, #8 Jayhawks 86
- 2014-15 (February 16, 2015): #23 Mountaineers 62, #8 Jayhawks 61
- 2015-16 (January 12, 2016): #11 Mountaineers 74, #1 Jayhawks 63
- 2016-17 (January 24, 2017): #18 Mountaineers 85, #2 Jayhawks 69
- 2017-18 (January 15, 2018): #10 Jayhawks 71, #6 Mountaineers 66
- 2018-19 (January 19, 2019): Mountaineers 65, #7 Jayhawks 64
- 2019-20 (February 12, 2020): #3 Jayhawks 58, #14 Mountaineers 49
- 2020-21 (February 6, 2021): #17 Mountaineers 91, #23 Jayhawks 79
Kansas vs. West Virginia College Basketball Picks
If West Virginia is to have a chance to pull the upset, they will need to keep Kansas under 70 points. But can they do that?
The Jayhawks are 22nd in the nation in scoring, averaging 79.5 points per game, and they rank third in the nation in offensive efficiency. They have been held under 70 points only four times this season: at Texas Tech (a 75-67 loss on Jan. 8), vs. Iowa State (a 62-61 win on Jan. 11), at Oklahoma (a 67-64 win on Ja. 18), and vs. Kentucky (an 80-62 loss on Jan. 29).
Guard Taz Sherman (18.6 PPG/3.1 RPG/2.5 APG) is the second leading scorer in the Big 12 behind Kansas’s Ochai Agbaji (19.9 PPG/5.2 RPG), and he scored 25 points in last season’s upset of the Jayhawks. But Miles McBride and Derek Culver aren’t working through that door, and the Mountaineers desperately need offense from the likes of Sean McNeil and Jalen Bridges to boost their upset bid.
Kansas has had some tests and shaky performances on the road in Big 12 action, but on the surface, it feels like too much of an ask for this West Virginia team in its current state to do what several predecessors have.
That said, counting out the Mountaineers in Morgantown on a Saturday night? Nope, not going to do it. They may not come out with the win, but it won’t be for a lack of trying.
Kansas vs. West Virginia Spread & Over/Under Picks: West Virginia +4.5 & UNDER 145.5
