West Virginia
Score Predictions for West Virginia at TCU
The West Virginia Mountaineers (14-7, 5-5) are back on the road to take on the TCU Horned Frogs Wednesday night. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.
Since their Big 12 opener against Arizona, where the Horned Frogs scored 81 points, they’ve struggled to see the ball go through the hoop. They’re averaging 62.5 points per contest since, and now, they’re welcoming in one of the best defensive teams in the country, West Virginia, who just got their confidence back on Sunday with a win at Cincinnati.
WVU guard Sencire Harris had an extra bounce in his step on Sunday, and it was evident from the jump. That added juice helped fuel West Virginia’s defense, and I expect much of the same tonight. The last thing Darian DeVries wants is for TCU to come out and throw the first four or five punches and fall behind by double digits early. Aside from the Cincinnati game, slow starts have been a theme for WVU lately, and when you’re facing a desperate team like TCU, those dreadful starts are unacceptable.
This one won’t be pretty as far as offense is concerned, but Darian DeVries could care less about style points. Get the win and get out.
Prediction record: 14-7
West Virginia has lost three-straight to TCU and has not won in Fort Worth since the 2020-21 season.
Much-like West Virginia’s matchup against Cincinnati on Sunday, on paper, the two teams are similar. However, neither Cincinnati or TCU has a Big 12 Player of the Year contender on the roster like WVU has in senior guard Javon Small.
Small missed double figures a week ago against Houston but bounced back with 19 points against Cincinnati, and the senior got help off the bench from senior guard Joseph Yesufu, who went a perfect 6-6 from the field, including 4-4 from behind the arc.
West Virginia will need one or more supporting role players to step up and there are plenty of options. Finding consistency outside of Small since senior forward Tucker DeVries has been sideline with an injury has been an issue. However, when the Mountaineers put in a defensive effort for a full 40 minutes, they’ve been tough to beat.
The defensive message may have sunk in with this group after the loss to Houston a week ago and the competitive nature of Small makes this Mountaineer team tough to beat.
Small continues to prove he is the best player in the Big 12 while the Mountaineers prove they have one of the better defenses. WVU ends losing streak against TCU, 72-62.
Prediction record: 14-7
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West Virginia
Delegate Larry Kump, master of various catch phrases, has died – WV MetroNews
Delegate Larry Kump of Berkeley County has died, state officials announced. Kump was 78 years old.
Kump, a Republican, served in the House from 2010 to 2014, again from 2018 to 2020 and finally 2022 to the present. He had announced plans to run again in the coming electoral cycle.
“As a battle-tested and liberty minded Christian and Constitutional Conservative, my consecrated action principles of good governance remains solid and steadfast,” he wrote to supporters in January.
He had been serving in the ongoing legislative session, but had been absent in recent weeks.
The daily prayer in the House of Delegates this past Wednesday included an expression of concern for Kump: “A special prayer for Delegate Larry Kump. Lord, you know where he is in the hospital now, and I pray right now that you would send your angels there to touch him, to be with him.”
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Kump’s death on social media, calling Kump “a devoted public servant who dedicated many years of his life to improving West Virginia.
“Delegate Kump served with a deep commitment to the principles he believed would strengthen our communities and protect our freedoms.
“On behalf of the First Lady and myself, we extend our condolences to Larry’s family, friends, former colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. His legacy of service and his love for our state will never be forgotten.”
Secretary of State Kris Warner also posted condolences to Kump’s family. “Larry was a conservative Christian and a true Mountaineer! He will be sadly missed by his friends and colleagues,” Warner posted.
The West Virginia Democratic Party also put out a statement to offer condolences, saying Kump’s work reflected a lifelong commitment to accountability, public policy, and the effective administration of government.
“Delegate Larry Kump devoted his life to his family, his community, and to his state. He brought experience, independence and thoughtfulness to his role, and he never lost sight of the people he served,” said Mike Pushkin, the Democratic Party chairman who is also a delegate from Kanawha County.
Kump was known for his turns of phrase, for example kicking off his comments on the House floor with “Great googly moogly” for emphasis. He often described his adoration for his “beloved and bodacious wife Cheryl.”
He regularly concluded interactions and written communications this way: “Meanwhile, and for sure and for certain, may God bless you all real good!”
West Virginia
Vape Safety Act of 2026 passes W.Va. House, tightening oversight and licensing for shops
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — The Vape Safety Act of 2026 passed in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Friday, aiming to crack down on what lead sponsor of the bill Del. David McCormick, R-Monongalia, said are the bad actors in the vape shop world.
“They’re very lightly regulated,” McCormick said. “Here’s something that is becoming a blight on our landscape out here in our neighborhoods and towns. They’re all over the state and they need some oversight.”
McCormick said the bill will also strengthen licensing as to who can run the shops.
A key part of the legislation that passed the House by a vote of 88-5 is an FDA registry, requiring all the products sold in the shops to be approved at the federal level.
“Make sure that something doesn’t have 30 times the nicotine in it that it’s supposed to, which has happened, and get a 12-year-old kid addicted to nicotine,” McCormick. “That’s buying something that looks like Pokémon.”
Cracking down on the marketing strategies vape shops use is also included in the bill. It has gained support from both sides of the aisle.
“You walk into them and they have you know it looks fun and all the flavors and all the things,” Del. Hollis Lewis, D-Kanawha said. “So when teens go in there, it’s geared towards teens. So I think some regulation is important.”
Other provisions include vape shops not being allowed within 300 feet of schools, libraries or churches.
“I would deem these things almost attractive nuisance for kids and teenagers,” Lewis said. “What we want to do in this piece of legislation, we want to ultimately, above anything else, is protect our children and to get rid of bad actors to make sure that we know what’s being sold in the shop and we know who’s selling it.”
West Virginia
BYU Cougars at West Virginia Mountaineers odds, picks and predictions
The No. 23 BYU Cougars (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) visit the West Virginia Mountaineers (16-12, 7-8) Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. ET (FOX) tip from WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA basketball odds around the BYU vs. West Virginia odds and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.
BYU has dropped 2 of its last 3 games after falling 97-84 against UCF on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 13.5-point home favorite with the Over (162.5) hitting. F AJ Dybantsa led all scorers with 29 points and G Robert Wright III added 20 as only 3 Cougars players scored in double figures in the upset loss.
West Virginia has dropped 3 games in a row after falling 91-84 in overtime against Oklahoma State on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 1.5-point road underdog with the Over (143.5) hitting. G Honor Huff scored a game-high 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from 3, while the Mountaineers overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to force OT before running out of gas.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Watch NCAA basketball on Fubo!
BYU at West Virginia odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 10:20 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): BYU -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | West Virginia +110 (bet $100 to win $110)
- Against the spread (ATS): BYU -1.5 (-115) | West Virginia +1.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 142.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
BYU at West Virginia picks and predictions
Prediction
BYU 81, West Virginia 74
PASS.
There is better value on the Cougars to cover the spread.
BET BYU -1.5 (-115).
A win all but guarantees a cover for the Cougars in this matchup with such a slim spread. They have covered in 2 of their last 3 and 3 of their last 5, including back-to-back road games.
Neither side has played particularly well recently, with both teams being 4-6 straight up (SU) and 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. This matchup will give Dybantsa, the nation’s leading scorer (25.1 points per game) who earned USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors last week, an opportunity to take over the game.
BET OVER 142.5 (-110).
The Mountaineers have scored at least 74 points in 2 of their last 4 games while allowing 67 or more in 3 of their last 5.
The Cougars have hit the Over in 7 of their last 10 games. They have scored 79 or more points in 4 of their last 5, including 90 or more twice in that span. They have scored 82 or more points in 7 of their last 10 and have allowed at least 86 in 6 of their last 9.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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