
It hasn’t been long since February 20, but for Mountaineers men’s basketball fans, it might seem like a whole new season. According to the recent WVU vs. Morehead State odds, West Virginia sportsbooks are confident that Miles McBride and his team can regain their winning form.
The Mountaineers’ last victory against a team other than Kansas State or TCU occurred on Feb. 20. In order for West Virginia to advance in the 2021 men’s tournament, they will have to exhibit the same level of performance as when they came close to defeating four ranked opponents in four consecutive games leading up to that date.
The spread on WVU vs. Morehead State
On Friday at 9:50 p.m. EST, the favored Mountaineers will face off against their opponents in a March Madness game. WV sports betting apps, such as DraftKings Sportsbook WV, offer an attractive 12.5-point spread for this match. Interestingly, this will be the first-ever encounter between these two teams in March Madness history, leaving little historical context for their matchup.
West Virginia has only encountered Morehead State in men’s basketball once, which took place on November 22, 2011. The Mountaineers emerged victorious in that match, securing an impressive 83-48 win on their home turf. Consequently, it is the data derived from West Virginia’s recent Round of 64 NCAA Tournament games that holds greater significance.
Out of the last 16 Round of 64 games, West Virginia has emerged victorious in 10 of them, with an average winning margin of 14.0 points. In 12 of those 16 games, WVU held the higher seed, and they managed to secure victory in nine of those games, maintaining an average winning margin of 12.2 points.
Throughout the season, Morehead State had the opportunity to compete against major-conference teams on three occasions, unfortunately losing all three matchups. The average point difference in these defeats was 28.0 points, and it is important to note that all of these games were played away from home.
Furthermore, the Ohio Valley Conference tournament champions held their final contest on December 21st. Impressively, the Eagles have emerged victorious in 19 out of their last 20 games. In matches against mid-major teams this season, the Mountaineers achieved an impressive record of 7 wins and only 1 loss.
The first three games of the 2020-21 season for West Virginia were held in neutral venues, where they emerged victorious in all three matches with an average margin of 8.67 points.
When considering the spread bet, bettors must assess the significance they assign to recent form and the likelihood of both teams replicating their previous performances in similar circumstances. Morehead State brings considerable momentum into this game, whereas West Virginia has a strong track record working in their favor.
Sizing up the total for Friday night’s game
At present, FanDuel Sportsbook WV has set the total for this game at 138 points. This number is slightly below the combined scoring averages of both teams, which is 146.1. However, it could be justified when taking into account the Mountaineers’ recent performance.
In its recent game against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Conference tournament quarterfinal, WVU only scored 69 points. Since February 20, which serves as a reference point for the team, West Virginia has failed to score 80 points in three out of its last five games.
Before that specific date, the Mountaineer offense was performing exceptionally well. Between February 6 and February 20, in a span of four games, WVU managed to score an impressive average of 86.75 points. On the other hand, the Eagles’ offense has demonstrated consistency throughout their season, consistently scoring in the mid-60s and never surpassing 90 points.
Once again, in the overall markets, bettors are faced with the decision of predicting a resurgence or ongoing challenges for West Virginia. It is also worth mentioning that the only previous instance where WVU was a 3-seed playing against a 14-seed resulted in a surprising 70-56 upset.