Richmond vs West Virginia Odds, Lines, and Spread
- The No. 11 West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1) host the No. 19 Richmond Spiders (4-0) Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1pm ET in Morgantown
- The Mountaineers’ rallied to beat North Texas Friday, while the Spiders are coming off a 78-68 win over Northern Iowa Wednesday
- Read below for odds, analysis, and our best bet for this matchup between Richmond and West Virginia
Junior forward Derek Culver will try to stay out of foul trouble, and his Mountaineer teammates will to avoid sleepwalking through the first half like they did Friday, as the 11th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers face the 19th-ranked Richmond Spiders Sunday at 1pm ET in Morgantown.
Bob Huggins’ program had its scheduled home opener against Robert Morris on Wednesday canceled due to COVID issues with the Colonials. So WVU was able schedule North Texas at the last minute.
Now, after an ugly performance against the Mean Green (that saw West Virginia trailing 29-21 at the half but rally to victory) the Mountaineers face a much more formidable opponent Sunday in Atlantic 10 standout Richmond. The Spiders remained undefeated after a 10-point home victory against the Panthers on Wednesday.
#19 Richmond vs #11 West Virginia Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | +7.5 (-104) | +310 | Ov 147.5 (-106) |
| West Virginia | -7.5 (-118) | -390 | Un 147.5 (-118) |
Odds taken Dec. 12 at FanDuel
Which team comes out on top in this NCAA Tournament-type contest Sunday? Let’s handicap this matchup of programs that have historical familiarity, but only one head-to-head battle since 2001.
Mountain-High Expectations
The only blemish on West Virginia’s record so far is an 87-82 tightly-contested loss to No. 1 Gonzaga in Indianapolis. The Mountaineers’ size and strength has carried them to solid wins over VCU and former Big East rival Georgetown.
Bob Huggins’ club features four players averaging in double-figures, led by Culver. The Brewster Academy alum has been impressive so far this season.
This might be the best team Huggins has had at West Virginia since the 2010 Final Four squad. They return nearly everyone from last year’s 21-10 squad, and feature preseason All-Conference honorees in forwards Oscar Tshiebwe and Culver.
KenPom currently has the Mountaineers rated No. 5 — behind only Gonzaga, Baylor, Villanova and Texas. And with Texas Tech at No. 7 and Kansas at No. 9, it gives you an idea of just how stacked the Big 12 is this season. But it’s how WVU handled itself in its lone loss to the top-rated Bulldogs that impressed many.
Derek Culver was the best player on the court last night. Better than Timme and Kispert. Dude is an animal.
— Meat Mountain (@PatKiinda) December 3, 2020
The Mountaineers had Drew Timme, Corey Kispert and the ‘Zags on the ropes Dec. 2. But after Jalen Suggs returned in the second half following an injury scare, the McDonald’s All-American helped Gonzaga hang on in what has become their last game played due to COVID issues.
They’ve comported themselves well so far and should again Sunday.
Mirror Image?
The Spiders knocked off always-dangerous UNI earlier this week. But Richmond’s highlight of the season so far was a 76-64 win over then-No. 10 Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Nov. 29, marking the program’s first-ever road victory over an AP top-10 team. Now, West Virginia enters Sunday’s intriguing contest as a slight favorite.
The Spiders have a ton of experience, with Grant Golden leading a veteran group with 10 upperclassmen and four graduates. Chris Mooney’s club has five players averaging double-figures. That group has powered the program to consecutive 4-0 starts for the first time since the 1954-55 seasons.
The senior-laden Spiders have some good underclassmen too. Mooney gushed about sophomore Tyler Burton after the Northern Iowa win Wednesday.
21 points.
13 rebounds.
13 years since a Spider freshman or sophomore has reached those figures.Another look at Tyler Burton's big night. #OneRichmond pic.twitter.com/X6WEUjBy4z
— Richmond Basketball (@SpiderMBB) December 10, 2020
“As I’ve said a couple of times, I think he’s going to be one of the great Richmond players of all-time,” Mooney said of the 6-foot-7 forward. “He just can do so many things.”
KenPom has Richmond at No. 58 in its current ratings. But I expect Sunday’s game to be very competitive.
March-Type Matchup
The former Big East foes have only played once in the last 19 years, with WVU beating Richmond 67-59 in Vegas Nov. 26, 2015. The Mountaineers own a 41-13 mark over the Spiders, and are 18-3 all-time against them at home. But Sunday’s game looks like a first-or-second round tourney game.
A big question for West Virginia heading into the season was its offense. But those questions seem to be answered so far, with Huggie Bear’s group averaging 77.8 points per game (110th of 311). The defense, which has been the program’s calling card under Huggins, hasn’t been as stifling as it usually is. The 71.8 points allowed per game ranks 186th out of 311. That’s compared to 62.4 last season, which was 15th nationally.
Meantime, the Spiders are scoring 78.3 points per game this season. That lack of a shutdown defense against an efficient, veteran unit is concerning.
While I think WVU prevails, this one should be close. And the over is a solid play.
The pick: Over 147.5 (-106)
Blair Johnson is a veteran journalist and seasoned sports content creator. He has been writing and producing content as long as he can remember, with such familiar names as CNN, NFL Media and Yahoo. Blair currently lives and works in the greater Los Angeles area.
