The West Virginia Mountaineers take on the Kansas State Wildcats. Check out our college basketball odds series for our West Virginia Kansas State prediction and pick.

The West Virginia Mountaineers have lost only twice this season, falling to unbeaten and No. 1 Purdue and dropping a game to the Xavier Musketeer team which just defeated previously unbeaten and No. 2 UConn. Those are obviously losses no one can complain about. They certainly do not hurt WVU's resume. The Mountaineers have wins over Florida and UAB. Those are their best two results. UAB might be an NCAA Tournament team. Florida has an outside chance but is not a clear-cut NCAA Tournament team at this point. West Virginia needs higher-end wins on its resume. The arrival of Big 12 Conference action gives the Mountaineers a chance to boost their profile. The Big 12 is known as the toughest top-to-bottom conference in college basketball with no easy road trips and no easy outs. Any Big 12 road win is a great win. West Virginia begins that pursuit in Manhattan, Kan.

Kansas State has lost just once this season, to Butler. The Wildcats defeated LSU and Nevada, but don't have bigger wins than those. Kansas State is in a position very similar to West Virginia's. The Wildcats don't have bad losses on their profile, but they certainly need to collect wins and take advantage of the Big 12's depth, such that nearly any win in the conference improves one's position for the NCAA Tournament.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the West Virginia-Kansas State College Basketball odds.

College Basketball Odds: West Virginia-Kansas State Odds

West Virginia Mountaineers: +1.5 (-122)

Kansas State Wildcats: -1.5 (+100)

Over: 142.5 (-110)

Under: 142.5 (-110)

Why West Virginia Could Cover the Spread

The fact that Kansas State doesn't have huge high-end wins this season should limit the extent to which we rate the Wildcats' chances here. It's true that Bramlage Coliseum is and has been an important home-court advantage for KSU over the years, but we still need to see Kansas State make a significant home-court statement before this season's team gets the benefit of the doubt in battleground-style home games such as this one. If we are to compare resumes, West Virginia does have a better one than Kansas State thus far. WVU's only losses are to the No. 1 team in the United States and to the team which just defeated the No. 2 team in the country. The Mountaineers look like a tougher team to defeat. That's not a knock on Kansas State so much as a simple comparison of what these teams have achieved thus far this season. The Mountaineers have done more to suggest that they will prevail in the close, hard-fought game this is likely to be.

Why Kansas State Could Cover the Spread

West Virginia's losses to Purdue and Xavier were not indictments of the Mountaineers, but the Xavier loss in particular was a true road game for WVU. West Virginia started that game well and led for most of the first half. Xavier, however, reeled in the Mountaineers and was able to steadily overtake them as the second half unfolded. Having home court for this game is a huge benefit to Kansas State. The Wildcats haven't dominated opponents at home, but they have won every home game they have played. Crucially, they have been a good second-half team, and that's where West Virginia might be uniquely vulnerable in this matchup. West Virginia might need an eight- or nine-point halftime lead to feel somewhat comfortable in this game.

Final West Virginia-Kansas State Prediction & Pick

If you think you can pick this coin-flip-level game, go ahead. Most of us should just sit this one out and pass, and learn about these teams before betting on them.

Final West Virginia-Kansas State Prediction & Pick: West Virginia +1.5