Posted on 2/16/2008 12:16:54 AM

NCAA Basketball Betting - Seton Hall at West Virginia

By Charles Jay

Before the NBA All-Star Game, BetUS NCAA basketball bettors will able to throw something down on an intriguing Big East matchup, as the Seton hall Pirates (15-10 SU, 10-10-1 ATS) visit Morgantown to play the West Virginia Mountaineers in a Sunday game at the WVU Coliseum that is slated to begin at 2 PM ET.

Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends that relate to this matchup:

* SH has lost its last four games SU

* SH has covered six of its last nine games

* SH has lost six of its last eight road games SU

* SH has covered its last four road games

* WVU has lost three of its last five games SU

* WVU is 5-8-1 ATS in its last 14 games

* WVU has won four of the last six meetings SU

* SH has covered three of the last four meetings

* The last five meetings have gone OVER the total

* SH has had the rebounding edge in each of the last nine meetings

* WVU has made more three-pointers in each of the last three meetings

Ouch - Seton Hall has shot the ball extremely badly of late, hitting between 35% and 39% in each of its last four games. And for a team that is averaging 79 points a game, tallying just 66 ppg over the last four-game stretch is actually kind of embarrassing.

That serves to give the Hall a lot of points in this matchup, but West Virginia has let its free throw shooting get the best of it in recent games, including a horrid 41% against Pittsburgh in basketball's version of the "Backyard Brawl," which they lost by just a point. And there was a 52% effort against Georgetown in a one-point loss.

We realize that West Virginia would be looking much better if they had been able to mail those free throws, but by the same token we're nervous about laying this many points with them until they can prove some consistency from the stripe. Seton Hall has, after all, covered four straight on the road, and they spread out the scoring pretty well, which means Bob Huggins' defensive scheme won't be able to focus in one offensive weapon.

We'll take the points with Seton Hall, the road underdog in the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PREDICTION: WEST VIRGINIA BY 5

Go to the BetUS.com online sportsbook today to bet on NCAA basketball. We have the most current NCAA basketball odds and lines, as well as player and game props. Join BetUS.com to experience the best in online sports betting action!

(Charles Jay of www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)