Auburn vs West Virginia Prediction, Odds and Best Bets

Game outlook

Auburn is on the road playing West Virginia at the WVU Coliseum stadium on Saturday, 1/28/2023 @ 12:00pm EST. West Virginia -3.5 was the opening favorite and line hasn't moved.

In an SEC/PAC 12 Challenge, the West Virginia Mountaineers (12-8) will host the Auburn Tigers (16-4). The last time these two Power-5 schools met on the hardwood was in 2007, when West Virginia won 88-59.

The Auburn Tigers are looking to bounce back from their loss

Despite losses to Memphis and USC, Auburn started the season 10-2 in non-conference play. Auburn has a 6-2 record in the SEC. Despite winning five straight games, Texas A&M defeated them 79-63 on Wednesday. With just 3 of 16 three-point attempts from the floor, Auburn struggled from long range against the Aggies. After Tennessee, Alabama, and Arkansas, the Tigers are ranked 24th according to KenPom. The Tigers rank 15th in adjusted defensive efficiency and 66th in adjusted offensive efficiency. Ranking 15th in the AP Top 25, they are a bit higher than last year. As of today, Auburn would be a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to Joe Lunardi.

Their record is better than theirs

West Virginia had a successful start to the season with 10-2 in non-conference play, with two losses coming against Purdue (No. 5 KenPom) and Xavier (No. 19 KenPom). Since losing their first five games of the season, West Virginia has won two of their last three games in the Pac 12. As a 3.5-point road dog, the Mountaineers defeated Texas Tech 76-61 on Wednesday. West Virginia's bench scored 50 of the team's 76 points, led by Joe Toussaint's 22. On the season, Toussaint averages 10.6 points per game, which is the third highest point total on the team. According to Joe Lunardi, the Mountaineers are projected to be a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament if the season ends today. Their adjusted offensive efficiency is 27th, their defensive efficiency is 37th, and their strength of schedule ranks 10th.