1* free play on WVU...

The West Virginia Mountaineers will host BIG12 rivals Iowa State Monday, and only one game separates these two teams in the standings. The Mountaineers will be a favorite at home, where they have won 11-of-13 games this season. My money is on the Mountaineers.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Home Cookin' - The Mountaineers have been a good bet at home in recent seasons, covering in 13 of their last 17 games in Morgantown. They are dominant defensively on their home floor, allowing opponents to average just 58.4 points on 39.1 percent shooting.

2. Lack of Depth - The Cyclones are really thin on the bench, especially with a banged up Jameel McKay. Their bench has not contributed a single point in their last two games, and McKay fouled out with no points in the loss to Baylor on Tuesday, and then sat out against TCU on Saturday.

3. X-Factor - The Cyclones have failed to cover in four of their last five games against teams with a winning record.

Selection: This is a play on the West Virginia Mountaineers (Free)