The Texas Longhorns (9-4, 1-0 Big 12) welcome the West Virginia Mountaineers (8-5, 0-1 Big 12) to Frank Erwin Special Events Center. The Longhorns will attempt to lengthen their five-game winning streak. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 5, 2019, and will air on ESPN2.
West Virginia Mountaineers at Texas Longhorns ATS Odds
In their last contest, the Longhorns were victorious over the Eastern Illinois Panthers, 71-59, while the Mountaineers were beaten by the Buffalo Bulls, 99-94.
The Longhorns had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.577 vs. 0.411) and had a better turnover percentage (20.8 vs. 22.9). West Virginia, meanwhile, did a great job of getting and making free throws (25-35; 71.4 percent). Matt Coleman III had a solid game for Texas with 13 points and seven assists. West Virginia was lifted by Lamont West, who finished with 22 points and nine rebounds.
This was a highly contested series last year, as the teams split their two games last season. In the most recent matchup, the Longhorns won 87-79. One of Texas’ biggest advantages was getting to the free throw line. They made 28 trips to the line, while West Virginia went just 11 times. This is the first time these teams will clash this year.
Esa Ahmad has really been playing well as of late for West Virginia, averaging 0 points over the last five games.
Texas figures to have the advantage on the defensive side of the ball. The Longhorns currently rank 40th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.456), while West Virginia is 243rd in effective field goal percentage (0.497). Furthermore, the Mountaineers are among the nation’s best at getting to the line, ranking 22nd in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.309). The Longhorns, meanwhile, rank 56th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.189).
West Virginia Mountaineers at Texas Longhorns Betting Pick
Free College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Texas, ATS Winner – West Virginia, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Texas ranks 12th in steals allowed per game (4.7) while West Virginia ranks 177th (8.7).
- The Mountaineers rank 64th in three pointers attempted per game (25.4) while the Longhorns rank 141st in three pointers allowed per game (23.1).
- Texas ranks 35th in blocks per game (4.7) while West Virginia ranks 102nd in blocks allowed per game (3.5).
- The Mountaineers average 42.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 10th in the nation. The Longhorns rank 164th in rebounds allowed per game (36.2).
- Texas ranks eighth in assists allowed per game (9.6) while West Virginia ranks 100th (12.6).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Mountaineers have scored an average of 81.4 points per game (3.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 76.2 points per game (3.8 above their season average).
- The Longhorns’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 11.0, up from 9.0 for the season.
