Although many bettors from the Mountain State are eagerly anticipating the showdown between the top two men’s basketball teams in the Big 12 Conference on Tuesday night, the WVU men’s team needs to focus on their tasks before that match. According to West Virginia basketball odds, the Mountaineers are expected to comfortably defeat Iowa State on Friday.
The eighth-ranked WVU men will achieve success by utilizing their significant advantages on the boards and in protecting the basket. On the other hand, the Cyclones’ chances of causing a major upset rely heavily on the skills of their point guard.
The complete odds for the upcoming college games can be found at WV online sportsbooks.
Looking at the latest West Virginia basketball odds
WV bettors may be keeping their money aside for the highly anticipated Big 12 matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence on Tuesday. However, the excitement surrounding that game could diminish if an upset happens on Friday. It is not advisable to give much thought to the moneyline on this particular game; it is merely a risky bet.
The Mountaineers are favored by 15.5 points in Friday’s game, as per all five online sportsbooks in WV. This upcoming match, taking place in Morgantown, will be aired on ESPNU at 9 p.m. ET. It marks WVU’s first game since Sunday.
The Mountaineers are gearing up for their third home game of the season, aiming to secure a hat-trick of wins as they kickstart the 2020-21 season. Nonetheless, this marks their inaugural conference game for WVU.
Iowa State currently holds a 1-3 overall record. So far this season, they have only had the opportunity to play one away game, which resulted in a crushing 105-77 defeat against their in-state rivals, the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Iowa State is set to play their second Big 12 game, following their recent loss to Kansas State with a score of 74-65. However, facing off against the Mountaineers at the WVU Coliseum on the last day of the workweek has proven to be an unfortunate trend for their opponents.
Out of the last 12 home games played on Fridays, WVU has emerged as the victor in 11 of them. In order to make it 12 wins out of 13, WVU may need to exploit the Cyclones’ sluggishness in getting started. It is worth noting that the Cyclones have consistently fallen behind in the first half in every game this season.
In the past five encounters, the Mountaineers have emerged victorious in four games against Iowa State, triumphing in all three matches held in Morgantown. The average difference in points between the teams during these games was 15.34, indicating that the spread has consistently fallen close to that margin.
Is WVU capable of limiting the production of Cyclones guard Rasir Bolton? The answer to whether they can cover depends on their ability to do so. The success of Iowa State’s coverage also depends on him.
Numbers don’t lie, especially when it comes to sports betting
Bolton’s shooting accuracy stands at an impressive 59.1% from the field. Additionally, he leads the Cyclones in both assists per game (six) and points per game (15.8). Despite consistently scoring in double figures in all four of ISU’s games thus far, it is important to note that he is not an unstoppable force.
So far, Bolton’s free-throw shooting percentage stands at 70%. Although the sample size of 10 attempts is small, it is worth noting that he is currently leading Iowa State in free throw attempts this season.
A winning strategy for bettors who choose the WVU spread is to limit ISU’s offensive options and make Bolton rely on himself for scoring. Additionally, bringing him to the free-throw line can be effective. It’s worth noting that the remaining Cyclones players have a shooting percentage of only 44.3% this season.
To strengthen their position, the Mountaineers should aim to restrict Iowa State’s opportunities. WVU outperforms the Cyclones with an average of 12 more rebounds per game. Consequently, this game anticipates a slight decrease in the pace of play.
The Mountaineers’ average points per game this season is 145.3. However, their last two home games have had an average of 135 points. It’s worth noting that the first of those two games was a last-minute match against North Texas, which was scheduled after the cancellation of their intended home opener against Robert Morris.
The average points scored by ISU and WVU together is 149.4. The total line for this game varies from 144.5 to 146.5, depending on the operator. Bettors are divided on whether the Mountaineers will establish an early lead and maintain it throughout the second half, similar to their performance against North Texas last week.
The numbers indicate that it is possible. Nonetheless, there is also a chance of a different narrative unfolding – that of WVU being caught off guard as they focus on their upcoming showdown with Kansas.
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