The West Virginia Mountaineers need to stop the bleeding, and fast. West Virginia was one of the best teams in the country a few weeks ago, having won 15 in a row. It was supposed to shift into another level with the return of Esa Ahmad, but that has failed to happen. Instead, WVU has now lost five of its last six and has seen its hopes of a Big XII Title go up in smoke.
Now, WVU has the unenviable pass of traveling to take on the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma has yet to lose at home this season, picking up wins over Texas Tech, TCU, and Kansas in the process.
This war on the floor will go down Monday, February 5, 2018, at 9 p.m. ET at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma. The game will be televised live on ESPN. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Monday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Surprisingly, it’s been West Virginia’s defense that has failed it in recent weeks. The Mountaineers have allowed 82 or more points in each of their last three games, and the over has cashed in each of their last four games.
WVU’s tailspin has really hurt people who have backed this team on the moneyline. The Mountaineers were favorites in four of their five outright losses. That’s an incredibly bad run of play.
Oklahoma has had some trouble of its own in recent weeks. The Sooners offense has not been as prolific as it had been earlier on in the season, leading to the under cashing in six of the last eight. Prior to that, the over had been the right side in 11 of Oklahoma’s first 12 games.
For as good as the Sooners have been this year, they have not been able to cover the spread often. They are 8-12 ATS and have failed to cover in six of their last eight.
Last Meeting
West Virginia dominated the first meeting between these two teams, writing the script for how to stop Oklahoma’s high-powered offense. The Mountaineers swarmed Trae Young throughout the game, trapping him in the backcourt and constantly pressuring him to make him work for everything.
Although Young ended up with 29 points, he had one of his most inefficient games of the season. He was just 8-22 from the floor and turned the ball over eight times. No one else from Oklahoma was able to take over the game, and the Sooners offense looked a lot more vulnerable without Young doing it all.
The defense needed to have a good day, because West Virginia didn’t have its best shooting performance of the season. Outside of Teddy Allen, who dominated off the bench, the rest of the team shot under 40 percent from the field.
Player to Watch
This time, the question is whether or not another player can step up and pick up the load for Oklahoma. West Virginia is likely to use the exact same gameplan it did in the win last time around. It will pressure Young and force him to get rid of the ball.
Brady Manek will be one of the players that the Sooners need to step up. Manek is the third-leading scorer on the team and has come along nicely as a freshman. He was clutch in the team’s victories over Kansas and Baylor, and Bill Self will turn to him again. Earlier in the season, he was a complete non-factor against West Virginia, so look for him to be better this time.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Home court will be the difference in this one. WVU’s offense has had trouble getting going and that will help the maligned Oklahoma defense. Look for the Sooners to get a decent win here.
College Basketball Odds: Oklahoma 82, West Virginia 75
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
