For the Mountaineers men’s basketball team, Thursday morning is an opportunity to exact some revenge for the loss that denied them the No. 2 seed in this year’s conference tourney. The current WVU Big 12 tournament odds favor No. 10 West Virginia against No. 12 Oklahoma State, but that was the case just a few days ago, too.
The Cowboys not only covered but also pulled off an upset in Morgantown a week ago. Will the same thing happen in Kansas City, with more on the line for both teams? That’s the question bettors have to answer when they visit West Virginia sportsbooks this morning.
A look at the latest WVU Big 12 tournament odds
These two teams split their season series, with the road team winning each game. That can’t happen today, however, as the site for this contest is the T-Mobile Center. The game should tip off at 11:30 a.m. EST on ESPN or ESPN2.
At stake is not only advancing to the Big 12 tourney’s semifinals against the winner of Baylor and Kansas State, but also seeding for March Madness. WV sports betting apps such as BetMGM Sportsbook WV have the Mountaineers as a 3.5-point favorite.
Does that line hold up to scrutiny? WVU certainly has been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the conference this season. However, momentum isn’t on its side. A week ago, the Cowboys beat WVU at home without the aid of Big 12 Player of the Year Cade Cunningham.
OK State expects to have Cunningham back in the lineup today, but at what capacity is unknown. The Cowboys have also won six of their last seven outright, with that lone loss coming at Baylor.
If West Virginia puts up another defensive performance like it did last week, allowing Avery Anderson III to score 31 points, it could easily be one and done in the conference tournament this year. A selling point for the Mountaineers could be that it’s difficult to beat a good team twice in a week, though.
This game is likely to be close, as the two regular-season games between these teams had a combined margin of seven points. Bettors will just have to pick which side of that spread they want to be on.
Sportsbooks’ totals for WVU games creeping up
William Hill Sportsbook WV has the total for today’s game at 151 points, which is getting closer to what these teams are capable of. On Jan. 4, the total for the game between these teams in Stillwater was 171. Last week, they hit 165 points. Thus, the over hit in both instances.
Given how WVU struggled to lasso the Cowboys without Cunningham, the defensive struggles on its side could compound today. OK State hasn’t exactly been a defensive stalwart itself, either. In each of its previous four games, it allowed at least 75 points.
Given the Mountaineers’ efficiency in scoring, it’s hard to pass on the over in this one. West Virginia could really use this game to improve its NCAA tourney seeding, as its “prize” for winning this game is likely getting to go up against the top team in the media poll in the semis.
