West Virginia Mountaineers vs Kansas Jayhawks NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/31/24

The Mountaineers and Jayhawks are set to face off at 2:00 ET on ESPN+. The Jayhawks will host the game at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS. The odds for this Big 12 conference game currently have Kansas as the -12.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 142.5 points.

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS VS KANSAS JAYHAWKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: West Virginia Mountaineers +12.5

This game will be played at Allen Fieldhouse at 2:00 ET on Tuesday, December 31st.

WHY BET THE WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-70 in favor of the Jayhawks.
• Even though we have Kansas winning straight-up, we like West Virginia at +12.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 142.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 146 points.

Can the Mountaineers Pull Off a Road Win?

West Virginia improved to 9-2 on the season with a 67-46 win over Mercyhurst on Sunday. Playing at home, the Mountaineers were heavy favorites, but they didn’t cover the -32 spread. The game’s total points (113) fell short of the 136-point O/U line.

West Virginia led 35-22 at halftime and added 32 points in the second half while holding Mercyhurst to 24 points after the break.

West Virginia put up 67 points in their last game, shooting 48.1% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 53.8%. They were strong inside, hitting 60.6% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 5 of 19 threes (26.3%).

Javon Small led the way with 19 points and 7 assists, while Aidan Reichert and Eduardo Andre each added 14 points, with Andre going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field. Toby Okani contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes.

West Virginia’s defense gave up 46 points, with the opposing team shooting 48% from the field on 25 of 52 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 20 of 33 shooting, which is 60%.

From three-point range, the opposition hit 5 of 19, or 26%. West Virginia also sent them to the line 18 times, where they made 12 free throws, shooting 66%. The Mountaineers gave up 7 offensive rebounds.

Can the Jayhawks Live Up to the Hype at Home?

Kansas Jayhawks Recent Game/Games

The Jayhawks improved to 9-2 on the season with an 87-53 win over Brown on Sunday. Kansas, who were -24.5 point favorites, covered the spread in this home game.

Leading 42-31 at halftime, Kansas clamped down defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 22 points while scoring 45. The combined points of 140 fell short of the 145.5 O/U line.

Kansas put up 87 points in their latest game, shooting 50% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 55.9%. They hit 56.5% of their two-point attempts (26/46) and connected on 36.4% from beyond the arc (8/22). At the free-throw line, they shot 73.3%, making 11 of 15 attempts.

Zeke Mayo led the way with 25 points in just 25 minutes, shooting 66.7% overall and 62.5% from three-point range (5/8), while also grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists. Hunter Dickinson contributed 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Kino Lilly Jr. added 18 points, despite shooting just 33.3% from the field and 30.8% from deep.

Despite Kansas giving up 53 points, their defense allowed the opposing team to shoot 50% from the field, with 34 made baskets on 68 attempts. Inside the arc, the opposition connected on 26 of 46 shots, good for 56%.

From three-point range, Kansas allowed 8 threes on 22 attempts, a 36% shooting performance. The opposing team also went to the free-throw line 15 times, converting 11 of those for 73%. Kansas gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the game.