The Navy Midshipmen are set to take on a Power Five team when they travel to visit the West Virginia Mountaineers at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia.
It is one of 51 NCAA basketball games today, which includes conference clashes and some powerhouse matchups. These two NCAA basketball teams enter with a winning record.
The Midshipmen are 5-3, though they have lost two straight. The West Virginia Mountaineers schedule has them 6-2, including 3-0 at home.
It has always been difficult winning in Morgantown for the rowdy fans the Mountaineers are known for.
NCAAB Standings
While this game doesn’t factor into conference college basketball standings, it would be a bad loss for West Virginia which is otherwise building an impressive resume with a difficult NCAAB schedule.
That will pay off when it comes to selecting at-large teams for the NCAA Tournament should the Mountaineers be unable to win the Big 12 Conference Tournament.
This is the first meeting between the two teams, so there is no recent history of what to look for when making Navy vs. West Virginia picks.
Navy Midshipmen vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Odds
A look at NCAAB odds has West Virginia favored by 18 points with a point total of 136.5. Navy Midshipmen odds are +1200 to win outright, while the Mountaineers are -1600.
It’s the largest deficit Navy has faced against the spread this season. Those making Navy vs. West Virginia picks show 70% of public bets on the Mountaineers, with another 56% of bets on the over.
Navy vs. West Virginia Betting Preview
Navy Midshipmen Betting Preview
The Midshipmen don’t excel on either end of the court but have been elite in one offensive area.
They are 143rd in scoring 74.8 points per game. But they have tremendous efficiency on that end of the floor. They are converting 48.3% of field goals, which ranks 54th nationally, and 41.0% of 3-pointers, which ranks eighth.
Navy’s Defense
Defensively there have been plenty of struggles. Navy is allowing 70.5 points per game, which ranks 225th.
The Midshipmen are allowing teams to convert 44.0% of field goal attempts, which ranks 245th, and 34.6% of 3-point field goals, which ranks 250th.
They are 221st in securing 31.9 rebounds per game but are 49th defensively in limiting teams to 28.1 rebounds per contest.
Tyler Nelson Keep an on the Guy
One of the college basketball players to watch is Tyler Nelson. At 6 foot 6, the wing is the team’s top scorer at 15.4 points per game and second in rebounding behind the 6-8 Daniel Deaver.
Deaver is second in scoring at 10.3 points per game, the leading rebounder with 6.3 per contest, and the top assists guy with 4.0 per game.
NCAAB Injury Report
There are no players listed on the college basketball injury report for either Navy or West Virginia.
This season Navy is 5-3 against the spread and 7-1 on over/unders. The Midshipmen are 1-3 in true road games. They are 2-1 against the spread as underdogs, but all three of those games were by 4.5 points or less.
This is clearly a tougher test for Navy. The Midshipmen have not faced a team the caliber of West Virginia, or any Power Five team for that matter, all season.
Navy coach Ed DeChellis, in his 12th season, is one of eight active coaches with 100 wins at three Division I schools, so he’ll have something prepared.
West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Preview
West Virginia has been great on both ends of the court, with a top-100 offense and defense already.
The Mountaineers have had a challenging schedule with a blowout win at Pittsburgh, a loss to Purdue, which looks like it could be a national title contender, a blowout of Florida as an underdog, and a loss at Xavier.
The Mountaineers rank 53rd offensively in scoring 79.9 points per game. They are efficient, too. They rank 40th in converting 48.9% of field goal attempts and 64th in making 37.4% of 3-point shots.
West Virginia Defense
Defensively, they are allowing 64.9 points per game, which ranks 93rd. The Mountaineers hold teams to 40.6% on field goal attempts, which ranks 99th, and 30.9% on 3-point field goals, which ranks 104th.
West Virginia pulls in 30.8 rebounds per game, which is 278th, but limits opponents to 27.8 per contest, which ranks 34th nationally.
Four players are scoring in double figures so far this season. Guard Erik Stevenson leads the way with 14.4 points per game.
Forward Tre Mitchell is second in scoring (12.1 points per game) and rebounding (4.1 per game).
Guard Joe Touissant is averaging 10.9 points, a team-best 3.4 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. Forward Emmitt Matthews Jr. adds 10.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Bell Jr. Lead
Jimmy Bell Jr. is the team’s leading rebounder at 5.4 per contest in nearly 16 minutes per game.
The Mountaineers are 5-3 against the spread and 6-1 on over/unders this season. They are 3-0 on their home court.
They also are 4-1 against the spread as favorites. Four of those games came as favorites of 15 or more points, and the lone time they didn’t cover was in an 18-point win over Morehead State as 19-point favorites.
Navy Midshipmen vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Preview
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins played at his alma mater and is now in his 16th season leading the Mountaineers. The 69-year-old is famous for his pullover and sitting on a stool at his older age. He isn’t afraid to tell players how it is.
His teams play a signature pressing defense that really forces opponents to make crisp passes to get the ball across the half-court line in time.
This is a staple of the defense that brings on the “Press Virginia” moniker. Navy needs to be careful not to get into traps.
Who to Bet On?
Getting stops is also a key for the Midshipmen. Rebounding West Virginia misses will force them to be unable to set up their pressing defense in the full court.
Typically a disciplined group, Navy has the tactical sets to be able to convert at an efficient rate. Controlling a slower tempo will be key to the Midshipmen keeping it close or even winning outright.
But the way West Virginia has dominated teams this season, taking the Mountaineers -18 feels safe for those making Navy vs. West Virginia picks.
NCAAB Pick: West Virginia -18 (-110)
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