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The Oklahoma State Cowboys (16-11) visit the West Virginia Mountaineers (15-12) on Monday night. Action tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET. Below we continue our College Basketball odds series with an Oklahoma State-West Virginia prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Oklahoma State has lost two straight and dropped to 7-7 and tied for sixth place in the Big 12. The Cowboys covered 52% of their games while 48% went over the projected point total. West Virginia has dropped three in a row and fallen to 4-10 and tied for eighth place in the Big 12. The Mountaineers covered 44% of their games while 67% went over. This will be the second meeting of the season between the conference foes after Oklahoma State held onto a 67-60 home victory back in earlier January.
Here are the Oklahoma State-West Virginia college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Oklahoma State-West Virginia Odds
Oklahoma State: +5.5 (-120)
West Virginia:-5.5 (-102)
Over: 144.5 (-110)
Under: 144.5 (-110)
How To Watch Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Oklahoma State Could Cover The Spread
Oklahoma State had a rough non-conference showing but has since been frisky in Big 12 play. The Cowboys picked up notable wins over Wichita State, Iowa State (twice), and TCU. As a result, their advanced rankings are much higher than you’d expect based on their record. Oklahoma State slides in at No. 32 in KenPom and No. 37 in NET. That is largely thanks to a solid 8-10 record in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, although their resume is hindered by a Quad 3 loss. Nevertheless, Oklahoma State currently projects as a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Oklahoma State is built on its strong defense. The Cowboys allowed just 65.5 PPG and have held opponents to 39.9% shooting – 15th nationally. Oklahoma State is especially stingy around the rim as they hold the 16th-highest block rate in the country. They held West Virginia to 36.5% shooting in their previous win, allowing just 60 points in the process.
If Oklahoma State is going to cover, they’re going to need to get something out of their offense. The Cowboys feature a balanced attack with three active players averaging more than 10 points per game. Senior forward Kalib Boone leads the team with 12.1 PPG and he had a monster 27-point, 9-rebound performance last week against Kansas. The X-factor, however, is junior Bryce Thompson. The 11.7 PPG scorer dropped 15 points on West Virginia back in January and is coming off 17 and 18-point games last week.
Why West Virginia Could Cover The Spread
West Virginia was stellar to start the season as they entered conference play with an 11-2 record. That included wins over Pitt, Florida, and Auburn. They got off to a horrible start in the Big 12 season, however, as they lost their first five games. The Mountaineers have since rebounded although they have lost three straight games coming into tonight. Nevertheless, West Virginia comes in at No. 26 in KenPom and No. 32 in NET. That is largely thanks to their perfect 7-0 record outside of the first two quadrants, as well as their five Quad 1 wins. As it currently stands, the Mountaineers projects as a No. 11 seed and one of the “Last Four Byes” in the NCAA Tournament.
West Virginia features a potent offense that averages 76.3 PGG – 52nd nationally. They are especially strong at attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line as the Mountaineers rank in the top ten in free-throw attempts and makes. Additionally, they are a dangerous offensive-rebounding team who ranks in the top 30 in O-REB rate. West Virginia’s biggest advantage could come via the turnover battle. While the Mountaineers forced a turnover on 18.2% of plays (54th in the country), the Cowboys turn the ball over at an 18.1% rate – 317th nationally.
West Virginia rosters a number of capable scorers as five players average at least 9.8 points per game. Senior Erik Stevenson is the man to watch, however, as he leads the team with 14.3 PPG. The sharpshooter nails 2.1 triples per game at a 38% clip. In addition to dropping 17 on the Cowboys back in January, Stevenson is coming off a monster 27-point outing in Saturday’s loss to Texas Tech that saw him hit six threes.
The X-factor for the Mountaineers is senior guard Kedrian Johnson. Although he was limited to just 4 points in their early loss to Oklahoma State, Johnson is coming off a 20-point outing on Saturday and remains one of the peskiest defenders in the league. His 1.6 steals per game lead the team.
Final Oklahoma State-West Virginia Prediction & Pick
Both teams are really struggling right now but with West Virginia just dropping a home game over the weekend, I’ll take Oklahoma State to keep things close after winning outright earlier this year.
Final Oklahoma State-West Virginia Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma State +5.5 (-120)