The 3-seed West Virginia Mountaineers (18-9) take on the 14-seed Morehead State Eagles (23-7) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Friday for a 9:50 p.m. ET tip-off. Below, we analyze the West Virginia-Morehead State odds and lines, with March Madness NCAA Tournament picks and predictions.
The Mountaineers stumble into the NCAA Tournament with three losses in the past four games, including a 72-69 loss as 3-point favorites to Oklahoma State in their first game of the Big 12 Tournament. The Mountaineers have also failed to cover in four in a row after a 5-1 ATS run. West Virginia went 7-9 ATS in 16 games against regular-season opponents who qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
The Eagles soared past Belmont in the Ohio Valley Conference title game, and enter the NCAA Tournament on a seven-game win streak. Morehead State has covered four of the past five games overall, and it’s 3-1 ATS on a neutral court this season. This is a team which hasn’t matched up with the big boys very well, losing by 36 to Kentucky in November, by 33 to Ohio State Dec. 2 and by 15 to Clemson Dec. 21. Morehead State plays lockdown defense, allowing just 63.4 PPG to rank 32nd in the nation, and it allows foes to hit just 40.4% from the field, including 30.2% behind the 3-point are.
West Virginia vs. Morehead State: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:56 a.m. ET.
- Money line: West Virginia -1100 (bet $1,100 to win $100) | Morehead State +650 (bet $100 to win $650)
- Against the spread/ATS: West Virginia -13 (-110) | Morehead State +13 (-110)
- Over/Under: 137.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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West Virginia vs. Morehead State: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
West Virginia 69, Morehead State 60
Money line (ML)
West Virginia (-1100) will cost 11 times your potential return. While that’s not a good long-term betting strategy, it’s especially dangerous during NCAA Tournament time when we see monumental upsets. Morehead State was on the good side of one of those big upsets, upending 4-seed Louisville 62-61 back in 2011 behind former Denver Nuggets big man Kenneth Faried.
PASS.
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Against the spread (ATS)
MOREHEAD STATE +13 (-110) has the defense to give West Virginia fits, although the Eagles might not have the juice to go all the way and pull the upset. They play a very deliberate style on offense, going for just 68.6 PPG, they’re not a good 3-point shooting team and they struggle from the free-throw line. But the defense is good, and they should match up well against the struggling Mountaineers.
Over/Under (O/U)
UNDER 137.5 (-110) is the lean here based on Morehead State’s shutdown defense, and its struggles on offense. West Virginia will test that defense, as it averages 77.6 PPG, but it hits just 42.8% from the field. That kind of shooting won’t get it done against a sturdy Eagles D.
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