The No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks will open their 2023 Big 12 Tournament run when they face the No. 8 seed West Virginia Mountaineers in the quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon. Kansas clinched the Big 12 regular-season title in the middle of last week before losing to Texas in its finale on Saturday. WVU advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament with a 78-62 win against Texas Tech on Wednesday. Kansas coach Bill Self will miss this game due to illness.
Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. ET. The Jayhawks are favored by 4.5 points in the latest West Virginia vs. Kansas odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 149. Before entering any Kansas vs. West Virginia picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters conference tournament week at 76-51 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,200 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on WVU vs. Kansas. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Kansas vs. WVU:
- Kansas vs. West Virginia spread: Kansas -4.5
- Kansas vs. West Virginia over/under: 149 points
- Kansas vs. West Virginia money line: Kansas -210, West Virginia +175
- Kansas vs. West Virginia picks: See picks here
Why Kansas can cover
Kansas rattled off a seven-game winning streak in February, beating West Virginia to complete the season sweep during that stretch. The Jayhawks had already notched a 76-62 win at West Virginia on Jan. 7, despite being just a 1.5-point favorite in that game. All five starters scored in double figures for Kansas in Morgantown, as Jalen Wilson posted a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Wilson was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging league highs in points (19.7) and rebounds (8.4). Star freshman Gradey Dick had an excellent regular season as well, averaging 14.3 points and 4.9 rebounds. The Jayhawks have won five straight meetings between these teams, covering the spread in four of those victories, and they will have a crowd advantage on Thursday afternoon.
Why West Virginia can cover
West Virginia's late-season improvement showed when it traveled to Kansas for the rematch on Feb. 25, as the Mountaineers lost by two points as 9.5-point underdogs. Senior guard Erik Stevenson scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds, while senior forward Tre Mitchell had 20 points and seven rebounds. They have gone on to win their three games since then, including a 78-62 win against Texas Tech in the first round of the tournament.
The Mountaineers are expected to be in the NCAA Tournament field, but they can cement their position with a win on Thursday. They held Texas Tech to a 7 of 30 mark from the floor in the second half, and Kedrian Johnson scored a game-high 20 points. Kansas shot just 36.2% from the field against Texas last Saturday and is facing a West Virginia team that has covered the spread in five consecutive games.
How to make Kansas vs. West Virginia picks
The model has simulated West Virginia vs. Kansas 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Kansas vs. West Virginia? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 76-51 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
