Mountaineers vs. Volunteers Prediction
The top-ranked team in the nation, the Tennessee Volunteers, will be at home today as they take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. Will Tennessee do a lot of the legwork in helping the total hit the over?
Game Snapshot
675 West Virginia Mountaineers at 676 Tennessee Volunteers
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Thompson-Boling Arena at 4PM ET
TV: ESPN
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Volunteers are listed as a 15-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 152.5 points. As of Saturday morning, 71 percent of public bets are being placed on host Tennessee. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest updates.
Mountaineers lose by 12 at home
West Virginia struggled at home Monday night as it lost 85-73 to Baylor to drop to 9-10 overall and 1-6 in the Big 12. James Bolden paced the Mountaineers with 22 points off the bench on 5-of-11 shooting including 2-of-4 from 3-point range and 10-of-10 at the free throw line. He added three assists and two rebounds. Brandon Knapper tallied 15 points plus three steals and two assists as a reserve. West Virginia trailed 46-31 at halftime and could not bounce back. The Mountaineers shot 24-of-62 from the floor, 5-of-17 from 3-point distance and 21-of-34 from the free throw line.
Vols down Commodores in OT
Tennessee avoided an upset Wednesday night as it defeated host Vanderbilt 88-83 in overtime. The Volunteers (17-1, 6-0) led 38-37 at halftime and it went into the extra session at 76-76. Grant Williams had a huge game for Tennessee as he scored 43 points on 10-of-15 shooting plus a perfect 23-of-23 at the free throw line. He also contributed eight rebounds, four blocked shots and two assists. Jordan Bone added 14 points, seven assists and two rebounds. Tennessee shot 27-of-58 from the floor, 5-of-20 from 3-point distance and 29-of-32 from the charity stripe.
College Basketball Betting Trends
West Virginia
The over is 5-1 in the last six Mountaineers games versus the SEC. The over is 4-1 in the last five West Virginia road games.
Tennessee
The over is 4-1 in the last five Vols games overall. The under is 4-1 in the last five Tennessee games versus the Big 12.
Prediction:
Tennessee has now scored at least 71 points in all 13 games during its winning streak and regularly been 80-plus points. The Vols have the second-ranked offense in the nation, while West Virginia is ranked 63rd in offense but only 148th in defense. This looks like an offensive showdown that will entertain the fans and I don’t see the total being quite high enough for what is likely in store. Go with the over.
NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS/TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS OVER 152.5