Kansas State Wildcats vs West Virginia Mountaineers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our West Virginia vs Kansas State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Manhattan.

West Virginia vs Kansas State Prediction

Betting on today's Mountaineers and Wildcats game? Catch the action at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, KS, as the Wildcats hosts this showdown at 6:00 ET on CBSS. The over/under for this game is set at 131.5 points, and Kansas State is favored by -1.5 vs. West Virginia in a Big 12 conference matchup.

West Virginia vs. Kansas State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: West Virginia Mountaineers at Kansas State Wildcats
Where: Manhattan at Bramlage Coliseum
Date: Saturday, January 25th
Betting Odds KANST -1.5, WVIR -109 | KANST -112 O/U 131.5

Mountaineers Preview: Will West Virginia Win on the Road?

West Virginia Mountaineers Recent Game/Games

The Mountaineers fell to 13-5 on the season after a 65-57 home loss to Arizona State on Tuesday, January 21st. West Virginia, who entered the game as -8.5 favorites, failed to cover the spread.

West Virginia trailed 24-23 at halftime and allowed 41 points in the 2nd half while scoring 34. The game’s total points of 122 fell short of the 134.5 O/U line.

Mountaineers Offense Breakdown

West Virginia struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 31% from the field and 13.8% from three-point range, hitting only 4 of 29 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 34.5%, but they were solid from the free-throw line, making 17 of 20 attempts for 85%.

Basheer Jihad led the way with 17 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 71.4% from the field. Jayden Quaintance added 15 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 63.6%. Javon Small had a tough night, going 0 for 8 from three and 2 for 11 overall, finishing with 14 points and 3 assists.

Mountaineers Team Defense

West Virginia's defense was stellar, holding their opponent to just 65 points on 31% shooting from the field. They were particularly effective at defending the three-point line, where they limited their opponent to 4 made threes on 29 attempts, a 13% shooting performance.

Inside the arc, their opponent shot 48%, making 14 of 29 two-point attempts. West Virginia also sent them to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 17 of those attempts. The Mountaineers gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.

Wildcats Preview: Can The Wildcats Secure a Home Victory?

Kansas State Wildcats Recent Game/Games

Kansas State dropped to 7-11 on the season after a 70-62 road loss to Baylor on Wednesday. The Wildcats were +11.5 point underdogs going into the game, but managed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 132, which was under the O/U line of 140.5.

Kansas State led 30-26 at halftime but struggled defensively in the 2nd half, allowing 44 points while scoring 32. Their inability to maintain their defensive intensity after the break was a key factor in the loss.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Kansas State scored 62 points, shooting 43.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50.9%. They connected on 37.5% of their three-point attempts, hitting 9 of 24 from deep, and struggled at the free-throw line, making just 5 of 9 for 55.6%.

VJ Edgecombe led the Wildcats with 30 points, shooting 61.5% overall and 42.9% from three. Jalen Celestine added 18 points, hitting 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, while David N'Guessan contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Wildcats Team Defense

Kansas State’s defense held their opponent to 70 points on 37% shooting from the field, including 37% from both two-point and three-point range. They allowed 21 field goals on 56 attempts.

From the free-throw line, the opponent shot 81%, making 17 of 21 attempts. Kansas State also gave up 13 offensive rebounds.

Mountaineers vs Wildcats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three road games, West Virginia has averaged 64 points per game while allowing 67. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-0-1 vs. the spread.
Across the Wildcats last ten home games, the team averaged 68 points per game while allowing 79. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 4-6, while going 1-9 straight-up.
West Virginia has done well both straight up and vs the spread as the underdog, going 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS in their last three games.
Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Kansas State has an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 6-4 straight up.