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Charlie Grant
West Virginia (5) vs. Marshall (13) Odds: March Madness Prediction
The WVU is seeking its third trip to the Sweet 16 in the last four seasons while Marshall has a chance to double the program’s total NCAA Tournament wins if it can get past the Mountaineers.
NCAA Tournament Odds and Betting Analysis
West Virginia seems to have recovered from a cold spell it endured in January when it won just one of six games. The Mountaineers were ranked as high as No. 2 on the AP poll before the dodgey stretch of conference games.
West Virginia lost in the Big 12 tournament title game to Kansas and finished tied for second place in the conference standings during the regular season. Head coach Bob Huggins’ team is 25-10 straight up and 16-15 ATS in its 31-lined games. WVU is 6-2 straight up and 5-3 against the spread in its last eight games and the over 6-1 in its last seven contests.
Marshall finished fourth in Conference USA during the regular season but won the league tournament with a big assist from Southern Miss who knocked off top seed Middle Tennessee State. The Thundering Herd are 25-10 and one of the best bets in the nation with a 21-11 mark against the spread.
Approximately 75 percent of Sports Interaction bettors are backing Marshall to cover the number as 12.5-point underdogs against West Virginia and 71 percent expect the game to go over the 159.5-point total.
Marshall Thundering Herd
The Thundering Herd are here because of the play of their dynamic backcourt. Guards Jon Elmore (22.9 points per game) and C.J. Burks (20.3) finished first and third in Conference USA scoring and the duo combined to tally 40 points against fourth-seeded Wichita State in the Round of 64.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Defence is a staple of WVU under coach Huggins but this season didn’t yield the defensive numbers Press Virginia supporters drew accustomed to over the years. The Mountaineers saw their opponents score an average of 2.5 more points per game this season than the year prior.
West Virginia’s midseason slump was linked to the return of junior forward Esa Ahmad. He made his return to the lineup on Jan. 13th and the Mountaineers promptly dropped five of its next six games. WVU has worked him back in and he’s become a reliable starter for the team.
