WVU vs. Texas Betting Odds
- Spread: WVU -5.5 [In WV? Bet now]
- Over/Under: 127
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPNU
- Location: Austin, Texas
Odds as of Monday at 11 a.m. ET and via DraftKings. Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.
Steam Hits WVU
West Virginia opened -4 overnight, and our betting data shows that sharp money was responsible for the move to -5.5.
We tracked Bet Signals at Sports Insights at WVU -4.5 on Sunday night, then Texas at +5, then WVU -5 on Monday morning. The total also ticked up a point behind some sharp money, up from 126 to 127 and has reached as high as 128.
Just 55% of betting tickets on the spread are on West Virginia, but 67% of the money has hit the Mountaineers. — Steve Petrella
Jericho Sims' Injury Looms Large
The Longhorns have played poorly and are now shorthanded. Junior forward Jericho Sims (9.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.2 bpg) is likely out for the season with a back injury.
This will leave a huge hole in the Longhorns' frontcourt against West Virginia's dominant bigs. In conference play, Texas ranks ninth in offensive rebounding and dead-last in defensive rebounding. That includes 11 conference games with Sims. — Mike Randle
WVU's Recent Form
West Virginia has lost four of its last five games, but under the hood, things aren't as bad.
The Mountaineers are still a top 10 team in most ratings systems, and their defense has been No. 3 in adjusted efficiency over the last three weeks.
The offense has been the biggest problem, and two of those performances against some truly elite defenses in Baylor and Kansas.
With Texas missing Sims, WVU should generate loads of second-chance opportunities and that will mitigate the offensive struggles. — Steve Petrella
Randle: How I'm Betting WVU-Texas
Texas (16-11) has been one of the biggest disappointments in college basketball after a fourth-place preseason prediction. The Longhorns have won their last two games (against conference bottom feeders TCU and Kansas State) following four straight losses. They are 11-16 against the spread (ATS) but only 2-4 in their last six home contests.
West Virginia (19-8) is in desperate need of a win, having lost four of its last five games. The Mountaineers have lost five consecutive Big 12 road games, including Saturday's overtime loss at TCU. They are 14-13 ATS but have failed to cover five consecutive games away from Morgantown.
West Virginia will bring the top offensive and defensive rebounding percentages in Big 12 play, which will force Texas to increase its attempts from beyond the arc. The Longhorns generate 37.2% of their points from 3P, which ranks 28th most in the nation.
The problem? West Virginia is the fourth-best team at defending the 3P, allowing its opponents a microscopic 27.9% from deep.
Bob Huggins' Mountaineers have certainly struggled recently, but their last three losses have come against stronger offensive rebounding teams in TCU (36th), Baylor (seventh) and Kansas (66th). Their massive advantage over Texas played a large part in their big 97-59 win over the Longhorns on Jan. 20. West Virginia outrebounded the Longhorns 53-25 in that game.
The Mountaineers will lean heavily on forwards Oscar Tshiebwe (11.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg) and Derek Culver (10.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg) to dominate the Longhorns near the basket on both ends of the court.
I'm banking on West Virginia to earn a much-needed Big 12 road win against a Texas team that lost by 38 in the prior matchup and now is without Sims. — Mike Randle
The Pick: West Virginia -5.5 [Bet now at DraftKings. NJ, PA, IN and WV only.]
