Houston Cougars vs West Virginia Mountaineers Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/29/2025

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Venue:  WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, WV

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Houston -7.5, WVU +7.5; Over/Under:  123.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Houston -7.5, WVU +7.5; Over/Under:  123.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Houston -7.5, WVU +7.5; Over/Under:  123.5 points

Houston Cougars:  16-3 (8-0) (1st place, Big 12)

West Virginia Mountaineers:  13-6 (4-4) (9th place, Big 12)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Brian Bitler is on a HOT STREAK in college basketball on a 14-7 CBB RUN for +$6,250 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Houston Cougars:  5-0  last 5

West Virginia Mountaineers:  2-3  last 5

Houston is entering this game with a 16-3 record overall, a 8-0 record in conference games, and they are 4-0 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Kansas Jayhawks in their last game. J'wan Roberts led the team in points per game in that game with 24 while Mylik Wilson was next on the team with 18. Milos Uzan led the team in assists with 9 in that game while J'wan Roberts and Milos Uzan each led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 47.9% from the field, 32% from 3-point range, and 56% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 76.7 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 55.6 PPG against them. Houston has an ATS record of 11-8 this season and their O/U record is 8-11.

West Virginia is entering this game with a 13-6 record overall, a 4-4 conference record, and they are 9-2 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Kansas State Wildcats in their last game. Javon Small led the team in points in that game with 22 while Toby Okani was next on the team with 13. Javon Small led the team in assists with 5 in that game while Sencire Harris led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 36.8% from the field, 19% from 3-point range, and 75% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 71.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 64.4 PPG against them. West Virginia has an ATS record of 11-8 this season and their O/U record is 6-12-1.

The current betting odds have West Virginia listed as a 7.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. West Virginia has looked good in their games this season with their 13-6 record overall and their 4-4 conference record which has them right in the middle of the Big 12. They have looked great on their home court this year with their 9-2 home record and they have taken down some good teams in those games. Meanwhile, Houston has looked great in their games this season with their 16-3 record overall and their 8-0 conference record which leads the Big 12. They have been a great road team too with their 4-0 road record and they are one of the best teams in the nation. They have a ton of momentum on their side with 12 wins in a row now and they are coming off a road win over Kansas in their last one, but they did need overtime to win that game and they have played in much closer games on the road their last 2. West Virginia hasn't looked great lately and they are coming off a bad loss to Kansas State in their last one, but they will be looking to bounce back at home and they are going to bring their best effort for the best team in the Big 12. They also lost in Houston by 16 points so they will be looking to keep this a much closer game at home, and they have gone toe-to-toe with some good teams this year. Houston has looked great all year, but this is a lot of points for a team that has struggled more in their last 2 road games. The best way to place a bet here is on West Virginia to cover the spread in this game. 

Houston West Virginia Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Wednesday, January 29, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Houston 82 WVU 78.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Houston Cougars West Virginia Mountaineers prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAB predictions and previews.

Houston Cougars: 7-3 ATS as a road favorite of 6.5 to 12 points. 33-23 ATS versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing 14 turnovers/game or less. 58-31 1H ATS as a favorite. 5-1 OVER in a road game where the total is 120 to 129.5. 16-8 OVER versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting 18 free throws/game or less.

West Virginia Mountaineers: 5-9 ATS as a home underdog or pick. 13-21 ATS versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game. 19-26 ATS versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 7-4 OVER revenging a same season loss vs opponent. 15-8 1H OVER after playing a road game.

Houston Cougars:  R. Walker (G) Out - Hand. J. McFarland (C) Out - Leg.

West Virginia Mountaineers:  T. DeVries (G) Questionable - Upper Body. J. Stone (G) Questionable - Upper Body.

"November was a good teaching point for us. I thought we were good enough to beat Auburn. I thought we were good enough to beat Alabama. But I don't think we were ready. I don't think we were in a position to beat them then. We had too much stuff we had to get better at, and this team has done that." - Kelvin Sampson on his team this season.

"We didn't bring the tenacity like I thought we would. I thought we had a couple of good days of practice after the (Arizona State) loss. We were incredibly focused and we came out flat in those first five minutes and never really recovered." - Darian DeVries after his team’s loss against KSU in their last game. 

L. Cryer 

J. Roberts 

E. Sharp 

J. Tugler 

M. Uzan

E. Andre 

S. Harris 

T. Okani 

J. Powell 

J. Small

PPG: L. Cryer (13.5)

APG: M. Uzan (5.1)

Reb/G: J. Roberts (6.6)

PPG: J. Small (19.6)

APG: J. Small (5.1)

Reb/G: A. Hansberry (5.7)

Coaches:

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson (11th season)

West Virginia Mountaineers: Darian DeVries (1st season)