NCAAB Free Pick | Oklahoma @ West Virginia

 

The first big showdown of the college basketball weekend takes place in Morgantown where No. 14 West Virginia hosts No. 12 Oklahoma. Saturday’s result will go a long way in determining which team ends up a higher seed in the NCAA tournament.

The Sooners, winners of six of their last seven games, are projected as a No. 4 seed in March Madness. West Virginia, which has won four of its last five, is looking at a fifth seed at the moment.

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Both teams are similar and that will play a role in this free pick.

Game: Oklahoma Sooners (12-5, 11-5-1 ATS) at West Virginia Mountaineers (14-5, 10-9 ATS)

When: 1:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 13, 2021

Where: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, West Virginia

Current Line: OFF     Total: OFF

TV Coverage: ESPN/Big 12 Network

Why the Sooners

The Sooners average 75.5 points a game and are led by 6-5 senior guard Austin Reaves who scores a team-high 15.8 points per game. Elijah Harkless scores just 6.8 points per game, but had 19 in Oklahoma’s win over Iowa State last Saturday.

When the Sooners beat West Virginia earlier this season at home, it was Umoja Gibson who hit 8-of-11 three-pointers and finished with 29 points in Oklahoma’s 75-71 victory. Gibson averages 10 points per game this season.

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As mentioned, Oklahoma has won six of its last seven. The Sooners have also covered the spread in seven of their last eight games. They were on a roll covering the spread in seven straight before beating the Cyclones last week 79-72 as 14.5-point favorites.

What’s really interesting is the Sooners’ point totals in those seven games. Take out the 52 they scored against a defensive-minded Texas Tech and Oklahoma put up 79, 66, 80, 75, 76, and 82 points.

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Why the Mountaineers

On the other end, West Virginia has been just as impressive. The Mountaineers rank 123rd in pace and score over 76 points per game. In their last five, WVU has put up 82, 91, 76, 80, and 88 points. 

The Over has cashed in West Virginia’s last three straight games. The Total has gone Over in seven of the last eight Mountaineers games. In their last ten games, WVU has had posted Totals of 140 or higher six times. Each time, the Total has gone Over.

With West Virginia and Oklahoma averaging in the mid-70s in scoring, expect a Total in the 145 range. When the two teams played back in January, the game Total was 144.5. The Total went Over, of course, with the final score 75-71.

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Oklahoma @ West Virginia Free Pick

Oklahoma tends toward the Under. In fact, the Under has hit in 11 of the Sooners’ past 14 games. Head coach Lon Kruger and the Sooners are better defensively than WVU, but the Mountaineers pressure defense leads to an increase in tempo in their games.

The Over has hit in three of the Sooners past five games, including the recent win over Iowa State. In those three games where the Over hit, the posted Totals were 142.5, 143, and 141.5.

With WVU dictating the tempo of this game and playing at home, expect scores in the mid-70s and even low-80s. Play the Over all the way to 145 at your favorite online sportsbook.

NCAAB Free Pick: OVER up to 145