West Virginia Tries to Bounce Back vs. #4 Pitt

The West Virginia Mountaineers will try and bounce back from a horrible road loss to Villanova on Saturday by beating one of the best teams versus college basketball betting moneyline odds in the Pittsburgh Panthers on Monday, Feb. 7th.

The Panthers are 21 and 2 this season. They’re atop the Big East Conference with only a 51 to 56 ‘L” to the Notre Dame Irish on their Big East record. Will Bob Huggins’ group do anything versus the Panthers, as the home team, on Monday night?

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

#4 Pittsburgh Panthers (21-2) at West Virginia Mountaineers

Where: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, West Virginia

When: Feb. 7th, 2010 at 7:00 pm EST

TV: ESPN

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

Pittsburgh Panthers +1 -110 O 128 ½ -110

West Virginia Mountaineers -1 -110 U 128 ½ -110

Check out some trends for this game.

• The Pittsburgh Panthers are 5 and 2 ATS in their last 7 versus the Big East.
• The Under is 6 and 2 in the Pitt Panthers last 8 games on the road.
• The West Virginia Mountaineers are 1 and 5 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss.
• The Under is 5 and 0 in the West Virginia Mountaineers last 5 games versus the Big East.

These trends are incredibly enlightening. Of particular note to me is the trend is that the under is 5 and 0 for the Mountaineers in their last 5 games, and 6 and 2 for the Panthers in their last 8 road games.

Looking at this further, WV has faced South Florida, Louisville, Cincinnati, Seton Hall and Villanova in their last 5 games. The Mountaineers reached 60 points only once in those 5 contests, a 66 to 56 victory over Cincinnati as 4 ½ point road dogs in the NCAA line odds sportsbook.

Pittsburgh’s 8 road games in their 6 and 2 under trend constitute only 4 games this season: Providence, Georgetown, DePaul and Rutgers. The Panthers scored 72 points or more in all 4 of those games save for one, a 65 to 62 road victory over Rutgers.

The Panthers usually average 77 points a game. Can West Virginia style basketball keep them to around 13 points less, 64 to 64 equal 128, on Monday night?

It’s entirely possible, but I’m not sure if it’s a good bet. The Mountaineers average 71 points per game. There’s a likelihood that West Virginia could put up only 64 points or less in this game, or even put the clamps on Pittsburgh, but there’s a greater chance that the college basketball odds on the total line end up over 128 ½ in this contest because West Virginia decides to run with the Panthers.

Pittsburgh’s D is terrific, but the Panthers haven’t faced a total line this low the entire season. West Virginia will most likely have to find a way to “keep up” with Pittsburgh on Monday night. Because of that, I have no choice to but go over the total in this game.

I see West Virginia changing tactics some. Their excellent defense is going to find it difficult to put the clamps on the high-scoring Panthers. Instead, Huggins and his crew is going to have to find ways to generate points.

I’m backing over the total of 128 ½ points in this Big East clash on Monday.

NCAA Basketball Odds Betting Pick: Over 128 ½

Log onto the college basketball sportsbook and bet on West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh on Monday, Feb. 7th!