The West Virginia Mountaineers will open their tournament with a matchup against the Morehead State Eagles. The Mountaineers earned a three seed despite falling in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament; in contrast, Morehead State locked down the Ohio Valley Tournament to clinch their spot in the dance. Can the Mountaineers bounce back after stumbling in their conference tournament, or will the country roads take them home? Here are the college basketball betting lines and best bets for tonight’s action.
Morehead St. vs. West Virginia | College Basketball Betting
Morehead State vs. West Virginia Game Info
Date: Friday, Mar. 19, 2021
Start Time: 9:50 p.m. EST
Bracket: Midwest
Coverage: truTV
The three seeds are quite weak in this year’s tournament, and West Virginia might be the worst of the bunch. They rank just 27th at KenPom and 24th in the NCAA’s NET rankings. Their offense ranks an impressive 11th best, but their defense is a disappointing 63rd. It’s hard to get excited about their chances of making a run, especially with higher-ranked squads like Houston and Illinois on the horizon.
Morehead State ranks 128th at KenPom and at 121nd in the NET rankings. The Eagles rank 70th in defense but they sit at a concerning 212th in offense. Even if the Eagles can successfully limit West Virginia’s high-powered offense, it’s hard to see their offense scoring enough points to pull off an upset.
Worse, Morehead State has the lowest win probability of any 14-seed, per FiveThirtyEight.
West Virginia will need a solid production out of star guard Miles “Deuce” McBride. Morehead State relies on strong interior defense, so West Virginia will need production from the backcourt to secure the victory.
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Morehead State vs. West Virginia Spread College Basketball Betting Lines
The Mountaineers are sizeable favorites on the betting market. Morehead State presents some difficulties defensively, so this makes sense, especially since the Mountaineers average on 9.2 more points per game than the Eagles. West Virginia also allows 8.1 more points per game than their opponents, although we can chalk some of that up to their strength of schedule.
Should you favor the Eagles to keep this one close, you can buy them as 13-point underdogs with the best juice (-108) at PointsBet. The same is true if you’re looking to buy the Mountaineers as 13-point favorites, as PointsBet also has the best line for that bet (-108).
However, that may change as tip-off approaches, so make sure to check out OddsShopper before placing your bet.
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Morehead State vs. West Virginia Total College Basketball Betting Lines
Since Morehead State has been so strong defensively, it’s unsurprising to see this total set so low. However, these teams combine to score well over this total on a per-game basis (145.4). This total comes down to how well West Virginia can shoot the ball from outside the paint; if you play the under, you’ll need them to stay cold.
Should you favor the over, you can find the lowest-set total with the best juice (-108) at PointsBet. If you instead prefer the under, you can find the highest-set totals at SugarHouse and DraftKings, although it may be worth it to burn a half-point for a better deal at PointsBet.
As always, you can follow any and all line movement yourself directly through OddsShopper.
Morehead State vs. West Virginia March Madness Prediction
Ben’s Bet: Under 137.5
This is another uneventful game, with the spread feeling about right for this lopsided matchup. Morehead State was crushed by top-tier opponents this season, and it will take a monumental effort to hang in here. West Virginia has been better offensively than in recent years, but I still worry about their lulls from the outside. With both teams possible struggling from the outside, I think this will take on an ugly tempo, leading to the under cashing here.
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