West Virginia (16-3, 5-2) at TCU (14-5, 2-5)
When: Monday, January 22nd 2018
Where: Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena, Fort Worth, TX
Time: 9:00 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: West Virginia -1
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The TCU Horned Frogs looked as if they would be competing for a Big 12 title with a terrific two months of the season – ranking as high as No. 8 in the coaches poll – but they now find themselves sharing last place in the conference. They will try and turn things around and snap a four-game losing streak when they host the West Virginia Mountaineers on Monday night in Fort Worth. TCU has never beaten West Virginia in 11 previous meetings, but came close last season. Daxter Miles Jr. made a free throw with 4.8 seconds left to break a 60-60 tie and West Virginia held on for the one-point win. Miles is back and so are the two leading scorers from last season, forward Esa Ahmad and point guard Jevon Carter. West Virginia bounced back from back-to-back losses to No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 10 Kansas and defeated Texas 86-51 on Saturday night. TCU coach Jamie Dixon drew a second technical foul on Saturday night and was ejected in the second half of a 73-68 loss to Kansas State. The Horned Frogs enter this week tied for last in the Big 12 with Baylor and Iowa State, the only teams TCU has defeated in conference play this season.
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Carter is averaging a team-high 16.9 points for the seventh-ranked Mountaineers and is shooting 41.4%, but his numbers drop to 14.9 points and 35.9% from the field in Big 12 play. Carter, the former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, is averaging 3.3 steals a game, which ranks second in the nation through Saturday. Ahmad missed 18 games due to an academic suspension, but the senior has averaged 13.8 points and six rebounds in his three games since returning. A victory for West Virginia would be the 836th for coach Bob Huggins, moving him into seventh place on the NCAA career list.
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West Virginia has terrific perimeter defense, but the challenge against TCU will be down low, particularly against 6’11” forward Vladimir Brodziansky. 6’7″ guard Kenrich Williams has reached double figures in points and rebounds nine times this season, and is averaging 14.7 points and a team-leading 9.4 rebounds. Brodziansky averages a team-high 15.4 points and is shooting 60.5% from the floor, but has stepped-up his play in conference games, averaging 18.7 points, including three games with 20 or more.
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TCU could have been the most overrated team in the country at the end of December. They’re not as bad as last place in the Big 12, but they’re not up to the caliber of West Virginia and their suffocating defense. I’ll take the road team here in a close game.
Pick: West Virginia -1
- Mountaineers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
- Mountaineers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Mountaineers are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Mountaineers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Mountaineers are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 Monday games.
- Mountaineers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Mountaineers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
- Mountaineers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. Big 12.
- Mountaineers are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win.
- Horned Frogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Monday games.
- Horned Frogs are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games following a ATS loss.
- Under is 5-0 in Mountaineers last 5 Monday games.
- Under is 4-0 in Mountaineers last 4 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 5-0 in Mountaineers last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 6-1 in Mountaineers last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 6-1 in Mountaineers last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 5-1 in Mountaineers last 6 overall.
- Under is 5-1 in Mountaineers last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Under is 5-1 in Mountaineers last 6 vs. Big 12.
- Over is 5-1 in Mountaineers last 6 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 6-2 in Mountaineers last 8 road games.
- Over is 5-2-1 in Mountaineers last 8 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Over is 4-0 in Horned Frogs last 4 games following a straight up loss.
- Over is 9-1 in Horned Frogs last 10 vs. Big 12.
- Over is 7-1 in Horned Frogs last 8 home games.
- Over is 6-1 in Horned Frogs last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Over is 4-1 in Horned Frogs last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Over is 19-7 in Horned Frogs last 26 overall.
- Over is 19-7 in Horned Frogs last 26 games following a ATS loss.
- Over is 5-2 in Horned Frogs last 7 Monday games.
- Over is 5-2 in Horned Frogs last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
- Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
