West Virginia Mountaineers vs Kentucky Wildcats Predictions – EAST REGION ELITE 8 TOURNAMENT PICKS
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Team records:
West Virginia: 30-6 SU, 16-19 ATS
Kentucky: 35-2 SU, 20-15 ATS
West Virginia vs Kentucky Odds
Kentucky is installed as a -4 favourite.
West Virginia +4.5
Over/Under: 134
Moneyline: WV +160, Kentucky -190
The Elite Eight contest will take place at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY at 7:00PM on Saturday.
The last meeting between these two teams was in the 08/09 season. Kentucky beat WVU in Morgantown as an eight point dog 54-43.
Cornell did a pretty good job slowing down the pace of the game against Kentucky but the younger Wildcats showed great patience. This team is a beast in the paint led mainly by Demarcus Cousins who led the team with 16 against Cornell, missing only one shot from the field.
West Virginia has a very good forward line but they do not have the bulk to bother Cousins, who is spelled by the similarly sized but less talented Daniel Orton. Throw in Patrick Patterson and you can see why this team is fifth in the country in rebounds per game. If West Virginia front line is up to the task the imbalance in the backcourt seems nearly impossible to overcome. Although only freshman, John Wall and Eric Bledsoe form what is probably the most talented backcourt in the country.
They are super quick, can get into the lane and shoot well enough to keep teams honest.
Kentucky is not a good matchup for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia’s defense was very impressive against Washington but Kentucky has a much more diverse attack to contend with. The key for the Mountaineers is going to be holding their own on the boards because if Kentucky gets multiple shots per trip they will score. West Virginia really needs Devin Ebanks to step up in this one.
Coming into the season some saw him as a potential lottery pick but DaSean Butler has outshined him all season long. There is going to be a lot of NBA talent on the floor but most of it is in Blue and White. Butler needs support and Ebanks is the most likely source.
The Cats are a tough matchup for WVU.
No one is the Big East has the kind of quality bigs they do and their backcourt is fantastic.
West Virginia has to hope that they can frustrate them enough into making freshman mistakes.
Betting Trends:
Mountaineers are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games as an underdog.
Mountaineers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
Mountaineers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games as an underdog.
Wildcats are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
Wildcats are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite.
Wildcats are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Saturday games.
Wildcats are 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 vs. Big East
Free Wildcats vs. Mountaineers CBB Pick
From the paragraphs above you wouldn’t think this was a 1 vs. 2 matchup. Kentucky has been very impressive in the Tournament while WVU has been more gritty than good. Everything seems to be lining up for the Cats and the Mountaineers weakness at guard will be finally exposed.
Kentucky feels like a safe play.
Score prediction: Kentucky 81 – West Virginia 70
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2 replies on “Mountaineers vs. Wildcats | Free Pick + Preview (Mar. 27)”
Kentucky has too much talent for the Mountaineers to come away with a win. If West Virginia plays perfect ball they do have a chance to keep it close, but it still will not be enough to pull off the upset.
Their only chance is for Kentucky to have an off day.
Head coach John Calipari has his No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats within one win of their first Final Four appearance since winning the national championship in 1998. The ‘Cats ended Cornell’s improbable run through the NCAA Tournament as they cruised to a 62-45 victory in the East Regional semifinals on Thursday. DeMarcus Cousins led the team with 16 points, Patrick Patterson added nine points and 12 rebounds, while Kentucky scoring leader John Wall recorded eight points, eight assists and seven boards in the win.
In the meantime, the Mountaineers looked a bit out of rhythm running their half-court offense without starting point guard Darryl Bryant, and played one of the ugliest first halves of the tournament before overcoming a rash of turnovers to knock off Washington 69-56 in the East Regional semifinals on Thursday night. The victory pushes WVU’s win streak to nine games while holding six consecutive teams below 60 points. Kevin Jones had 18 points and leading scorer Da’Sean Butler added 14 in the win. After losing Bryant on Tuesday to a broken foot the team got another scare when Butler came up holding his hand after a hard fall in Thursday’s contest. He was seen leaving Friday’s practice with his right hand and wrist wrapped in ice, but team sources report he will start on Saturday against West Virginia.
Kentucky has won seven national titles and a record 2,023 games, whereas West Virginia is still searching for its first title along with a little national respect.
Besides bringing their brand of physical play to the hardwood, the Mountaineers will need to shore up their offense, as they shot an anemic 40 percent against the Huskies. Not only will they need production from their top player (Butler), but an all out effort from the entire bench if they are going to have any chance at beating top-seed Kentucky, which is barreling through the tourney like a freight train.
The Wildcats used the low post against Cornell, and it was effective. But the Mountaineers’ Butler and Jones have played well in the tournament and will present the Kentucky with its most difficult match ups on defense inside. The ‘Cats will also look to push it up the court behind Wall, who is one of the best players in the country, and from their distribute the ball through very small spaces to teammates both in the paint and around the perimeter.
The odds makers have the Wildcats as -4 -point favorites.
I expect this to be hard fought game with the Wildcats opening down the stretch to win this one by six on their way to a their first Final Four appearance in 12 years.