Can the Wildcats get some revenge tonight in West Virginia? Winner’s Edge handicapper Greg Dempson has his thoughts on this one from the Tuesday card – and it leans more to the answer being “no”. Arizona is traveling to Morgantown for the first time in something like 70 years to face the Mountaineers in a rematch of their November 28th clash in the Battle 4 tourney in the Bahamas. That was a fun game, with West Virginia winning 83-76 in overtime.
One of the heroes of that game, Tucker DeVries, who fired off for 26-points, has been sidelined for a month, leaving the Mountaineers to navigate without one of their key offensive weapons. He would be a nice addition back into the lineup, and it sounds like he is getting closer to returning, but don’t expect him to suit up this evening. Still, WVU has been finding ways to win without him.
Both teams have evolved since that first meeting. Arizona, coming off a 6-5 non-conference slate, has found its rhythm with five wins in their last six games, including an impressive 72-67 road win at 16th-ranked Cincinnati. The Wildcats have tightened up defensively, holding six of their last seven opponents under 70 points in regulation.
West Virginia, meanwhile, has been winning a lot as well, currently on a seven-game winning streak. Their defense has been the main engine driving those wins, ranking third in the league in scoring defense. They work well as a unit, and work hard on D, the keys to locking an opponent down.
Arizona has definitely shown improvement over the past six weeks, but getting the 3.5 points on homecourt, with a strong defense, Greg likes the value on the home team Mountaineers.
The Pick: Take West Virginia +3.5