On April 2nd, Stanford Cardinals wear off against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the first round of the college basketball crown this Thursday. April 2nd, 2026, at 8 p.m. Eastern, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on FS1. Stanford brings a heavy reliance on three-point shooting, hitting 37% from deep since the new year, while West Virginia clamps down inside, but lets teams light it up from outside at 35%.
Expect a grinded-out battle, with both squads rusty after a three-week layoff, and West Virginia's offense struggling outside the top 300 in. Turnovers and threes since January. The Mountaineers under has cashed in 16 of their last 20 games, and Stanford's poor ball movement matches up perfectly against WVU's. 17th-ranked adjusted defense and super slow tempo.
Odds have Stanford as a one-point favorite, with a total of 136. Leaning under all the way could be a first-half snooze before. These teams find their rhythm.