Colorado Buffaloes vs West Virginia Mountaineers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our West Virginia vs Colorado NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Boulder.

West Virginia vs Colorado Prediction

Betting on today's Mountaineers and Buffaloes game? Catch the action at CU Events Center in Boulder, CO, as the Buffaloes hosts this showdown at 3:00 ET on ESPN+. This Big 12 conference matchup has an over/under of 136.5 points, and Colorado is favored to win by -1 at home vs. West Virginia.

West Virginia vs. Colorado Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: West Virginia Mountaineers at Colorado Buffaloes
Where: Boulder at CU Events Center
Date: Sunday, January 12th
Betting Odds COL -1, WVIR -109 | COL -112 O/U 136.5

Mountaineers Preview: Do the Mountaineers Have What it Takes in Boulder?

West Virginia fell to 11-3 on the season after a 75-56 home loss to Arizona on Tuesday. The Mountaineers entered the game as +4 underdogs but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 131, falling short of the 143.5 O/U line.

West Virginia trailed 39-28 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the 2nd half, scoring just 28 points while allowing 36.

Mountaineers Offense Breakdown

West Virginia struggled offensively in their last game, putting up just 56 points on 36.2% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 43.1%, with a rough night from beyond the arc, hitting only 27.6% of their threes (8/29).

KJ Lewis was a bright spot, scoring 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting, while adding 4 assists. Javon Small contributed 17 points, though he shot just 35.3% overall, and Jaden Bradley chipped in 15 points, hitting 2 of 3 from deep.

Mountaineers Team Defense

West Virginia's defense held their opponent to 75 points on 36% shooting from the field. They limited their opponent's two-point shooting to 44%, with 13 made baskets on 29 attempts.

From beyond the arc, West Virginia's defense gave up 8 threes on 29 attempts, a 27% shooting rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 8 times, where they made 6 free throws for a 75% rate. West Virginia allowed 8 offensive rebounds in the game.

Buffaloes Preview: Will the Buffaloes Win at Home?

Colorado’s season record dropped to 9-5 after a narrow 75-74 loss to UCF on Wednesday. The Buffaloes were +6.5 point underdogs going into the game but managed to keep it close, covering the spread.

Colorado led 37-34 at halftime but allowed 41 points in the second half while scoring 37. The game’s total points of 149 just edged over the 148.5 O/U line.

Buffaloes Offense Breakdown

Colorado's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, shooting 52.2% from the field and knocking down 53.8% of their threes (7/13). Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 60.9%, and they hit 79.2% of their free throws, going 19/24 from the line.

Julian Hammond III led the way with 26 points, shooting 57.1% overall and 50% from deep. Jordan Ivy-Curry added 22 points, hitting 4 threes, while Andrej Jakimovski was 4/5 from beyond the arc, finishing with 16 points on 66.7% shooting.

Buffaloes Team Defense

Even with a solid defensive effort, the Colorado Buffaloes couldn’t hold their opponent under 75 points, despite limiting them to 39% shooting from the field. The Buffaloes held their opponent to 42% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposition making 12 of their 28 shots from inside the arc.

From beyond the three-point line, Colorado’s defense allowed 10 threes on 28 attempts, a 35% shooting performance. Their opponent also capitalized at the free-throw line, hitting 21 of 28 attempts for 75%. The Buffaloes gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.

Mountaineers vs Buffaloes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three road games, West Virginia has averaged 71 points per game while allowing 72. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
When looking at their past five home matchups, Colorado has an ATS record of 2-3 while averaging 67 per game. The team went 0-5 overall in these games.
Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, West Virginia has an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 3-7 straight up.
As the betting favorite, the Buffaloes have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.