The Big XII season is only three games old, but already, there are only two undefeated teams left to choose from. The Kansas Jayhawks and West Virginia Mountaineers will both enter Tuesday night at 3-0 in conference play, and one will have the inside edge to the regular season Big XII title after what should be 40 grueling minutes for both sides.
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HOW THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Jayhawks showed some real grit last week. They played their hearts out in a marathon win over Oklahoma on Monday and came back to beat Texas Tech in Lubbock over the weekend in a game which smelled like a complete and utter trap from the get go.
The No. 1 team in America is going to win games like this on the defensive side of the court and with great rebounding. Texas Tech isn't nearly the best team in the Big XII, but it managed to shoot just 41.1 percent from the floor on Saturday to go with just 23 rebounds.
Perry Ellis and Frank Mason had 20 boards by themselves, and the Jayhawks were +17 on the glass as a team.
We know the guard play is going to be there for sure with Devonte' Graham and Wayne Selden Jr., but the forwards are the ones who can really dominate by cleaning up the glass both on the offensive and defensive ends.
HOW THE WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The big problem we see in this game for the Mountaineers is going to be their tempo. They're not really going to have much of a choice but to try to push the ball up and down the court and create at least 70-80 possessions on each side.
Anything less could prove problematic.
Just go back and look at the loss to Virginia back on December 8. WVU was held to 54 points and just 50 shots from the field. Since then, the Mountaineers have scored at least 77 points in each game, have averaged 64 shots per game and have taken at least 20 free throws every time out.
That means a lot of driving to the hoop and not being afraid of the trees in the middle.
Devin Williams, Jevon Carter, Jaysean Paige and Daxter Miles Jr. all average at least a dozen points per game, and the latter three do a ton of getting the ball at the top of the key and driving into the lane to create offensive opportunities. They'll all need ice baths when this game is over with, but that'll be the only way to victory.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
We just don't like the matchup for the Mountaineers. The Jayhawks are smart enough to not get into the whole tempo game, and they aren't going to commit 30 fouls or anything of the sorts to continually put WVU on the foul line.
Let's not forget that West Virginia averages over 14 turnovers per game as well. If the 'Neers are going to turn the rock over 15+ times in this one, they're asking to get beaten in their own gym by what might be the best team in America.
Kansas 78, West Virginia 71
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Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so starting betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the Kansas Jayhawks and the West Virginia Mountaineers will go down on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. ET at WVU Coliseum. You can watch the game live on ESPN2.
