Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia Big 12 basketball odds, bracketology: Mountaineers would likely slide off NCAA Tournament bubble with home loss

The Big 12 could set a power conference record by sending 80% (eight of 10) of its teams to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Of the eight currently projected to go dancing, West Virginia is easily the closest to the bubble. WVU, a 5-point home favorite at Caesars Sportsbook Monday against Oklahoma State, would likely find itself out of the tournament with a loss.

The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee reminded everyone Saturday that the Big 12 has been far and away the best league in the nation when the committee seeded five Big 12 teams at No. 3 or better in its Top 16. Kansas was a No. 1 seed, Texas and Baylor were No. 2 seeds, and Iowa State and Kansas State both a No. 3. Saturday was the lone mock bracket reveal of the season. Selection Sunday is March 12.

Oklahoma State (16-11, 7-7 Big 12) is currently projected as a No. 9 seed in the South Region by CBS Sports' Jerry Palm, facing No. 8 Nevada. ESPN places the Cowboys in the exact same seed and region, but against No. 8 NC State. 

West Virginia is 15-12 overall and 4-10 in the Big 12 – only Oklahoma has a worse league record. Coach Bob Huggins' team does have a strong NCAA NET ranking of 32 with five Quad 1 wins in 16 chances. CBS Sports has WVU among its Last Four In as a No. 11 seed and facing No. 11 Arkansas in the First Four. ESPN lists WVU among its First Four Byes and as a No. 11 seed in the East Region, opening against No. 6 Northwestern. 

The Mountaineers are trending the wrong way on a three-game losing streak. The first two losses were understandable -- at No. 5 Texas and at No. 9 Baylor -- but Saturday's 78-72 home loss to Texas Tech (which hadn't won a Big 12 road game this season) could be a killer down the line. West Virginia missed all six field goal attempts over the final 3:17 of the game. It led by eight with less than nine minutes left.

Oklahoma State beat West Virginia 67-60 on Jan. 2. Avery Anderson III had 13 points, five rebounds and two assists for the Cowboys, but the senior guard is currently out with an injured wrist. Anderson III joined Oklahoma State's 1,000-career point club against Oklahoma earlier this month. The Cowboys have the best defensive field goal percentage (39.9) of any Big 12 team, and they held the Mountaineers under 37% shooting in the first meeting.

The Mountaineers are 4-6 against Oklahoma State at the WVU Coliseum all-time.

"We have to handle our business Monday and take care of business at home like we should've [Saturday]," WVU guard Erik Stevenson said after the TTU loss. "It would be nice to steal one, maybe two on the road. This makes us have to win one in Kansas City [at the Big 12 Tournament] at least and possibly two. Obviously we want to win as many games as we can to not even be on the bubble and make sure we're in the tournament, but we just have to take it day by day. This one sucks. I'll just be honest."

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