by Rod Pearson
Monday, Mar 11, 2024
Game Time: 3:00 pm ET, Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Venue: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, MO
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: WVU +9.5, Cincinnati -9.5; Over/Under: 143 points
Bet365: Point Spread: WVU +9.5, Cincinnati -9.5; Over/Under: 143 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: WVU +9.5, Cincinnati -9.5; Over/Under: 143.5 points
Season Record
West Virginia Mountaineers: 9-22 (4-14) (14th place, Big 12)
Cincinnati Bearcats: 18-13 (7-11) (11th place, Big 12)
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Recent Form
West Virginia Mountaineers: 0-5 last 5
Cincinnati Bearcats: 2-3 last 5
West Virginia Mountaineers vs Cincinnati Bearcats Preview and Analysis
West Virginia is entering this game with a 9-22 record overall, a 4-14 record in conference games, and they are 0-4 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Cincinnati Bearcats in their last game. Noah Farrakhan led the team in points per game in that game with 12 while RaeQuan Battle was next on the team with 9. Quinn Slazinski led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Jesse Edwards and RaeQuan Battle each led the team in rebounds with 4. They were 38.9% from the field, 42.1% from 3-point range, and 60% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 69.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 76.4 PPG against them. West Virginia has an ATS record of 12-19 this season and their O/U record is 16-14-1.
Cincinnati is entering this game with an 18-13 record overall, a 7-11 conference record, and they are 0-1 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the West Virginia Mountaineers in their last game. Dan Skillings Jr. led the team in points in that game with 17 while John Newman III was next on the team with 14. Day Day Thomas led the team in assists with 7 in that game while Aziz Bandaogo led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 59% from the field, 29.6% from 3-point range, and 75% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 74.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67.8 PPG against them. Cincinnati has an ATS record of 16-15 this season and their O/U record is 16-15.
West Virginia vs Cincinnati Prediction
The current betting odds have Cincinnati listed as a 9.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Cincinnati hasn't looked great in their games this season with their 18-13 record overall and their 7-11 conference record which has them in the bottom half of the Big 12. They haven't been great in their games at neutral sites either with their 0-1 record, but they have only played the 1 game at a neutral site all season. Meanwhile, West Virginia has looked terrible in their games this season with their 9-22 record overall and their 4-14 conference record which has them right at the bottom of the Big 12. They have also looked terrible in their games at neutral sites this season since they are 0-4 in those games. They haven't looked good lately either as they are 0-5 in their last 5 games while Cincinnati hasn't been great but they are 2-3 in their last 5 games and have been winning a lot more games. Cincinnati just ended the regular season with a huge win over West Virginia at home by over 30 points and even though this game is at a neutral site now, the result is going to be no different with how bad WVU has been this season. Cincinnati has been a stronger team all season and the much better team coming into this one too, they are not losing this 1st game of the Conference Tournament to the worst team in the Big 12. The best way to place a bet here is on Cincinnati to cover the spread in this game.
West Virginia Cincinnati Prediction: Our NCAAB Pick for Tuesday, March 12, 2024 (3:00 pm ET start time) is Cincinnati 88 West Virginia 62.
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NCAAB Betting Trends
West Virginia Mountaineers: 7-1 ATS as a neutral court underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. 8-4 ATS revenging a blowout loss vs opponent of 30 points or more. 32-20 OVER as an underdog. 36-21 OVER against conference opponents. 18-8 OVER after a loss by 10 points or more.
Cincinnati Bearcats: 7-17 ATS off a win against a conference rival. 1-6 ATS after a blowout win by 30 points or more. 4-10 ATS after a game where they covered the spread. 11-6 OVER after 1 or more consecutive wins. 6-1 OVER after scoring 85 points or more. 8-3 OVER as a neutral court favorite of 6.5 to 9 points.
Key Injuries
West Virginia Mountaineers: None.
Cincinnati Bearcats: V. Lakhin (F) Ques Tues - Undisclosed. C. Fredrick (G) Out indefinitely - Hamstring.
Notable Quotes
"I thought we played fairly well in the first half, down 14 before cutting it to seven, and there were a lot of positives there you could hang your hat on. We have the ball coming out of the half and start to make a run, but nothing went our way." - Josh Eilert after his team’s loss against Cincinnati in their last game on Saturday.
"In league play, every game for us has come down to what feels like one possession, maybe two. That's just how this league is. It was great to have a night that you're able to push out a lead in the second half. That was good to see, and I believe we'll have a lot more nights like that in Cincinnati in the future. I was pleased mainly for our guys because they've had some brutal nights over the last eight or nine weeks.” - Wes Miller after his team’s win against WVU in their last game on Saturday.
Starting Lineups
West Virginia Mountaineers
R. Battle
J. Edwards
K. Johnson
K. Kriisa
Q. Slazinski
Cincinnati Bearcats
A. Bandaogo
V. Lakhin
S. Lukosius
J. Newman
D. Thomas
Statistical Leaders
West Virginia Mountaineers
PPG: R. Battle (16.2)
APG: K. Kriisa (4.6)
Reb/G: J. Edwards (8.2)
Cincinnati Bearcats
PPG: D. Skillings Jr. (12.1)
APG: D. Thomas (3.3)
Reb/G: A. Bandaogo (7.6)
Coaches:
West Virginia Mountaineers: Josh Eilert (1st season)
Cincinnati Bearcats: Wes Miller (3rd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
