Houston Cougars vs West Virginia Mountaineers Matchup

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

Houston vs West Virginia Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Cougars versus the Mountaineers? Tip off is at at 7:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, WV. Houston is favored by -7.5 in this Big 12 conference matchup the against West Virginia. The over/under for the game is set at 122.5 points.

Houston vs. West Virginia Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Houston Cougars at West Virginia Mountaineers
Where: Morgantown at WVU Coliseum
Date: Wednesday, January 29th
Betting Odds HOU -7.5, HOU -375 | WVIR +288 O/U 122.5

Cougars Preview: Do the Cougars Have What it Takes on the Road?

Houston Cougars Recent Game/Games

Houston improved to 17-3 on the season with a 92-86 win over Kansas on Saturday. The Cougars, who were -1 favorites, covered the spread. The total points for the game reached 178, well over the 127.5 O/U line.

Houston trailed 38-31 at halftime but turned things around by outscoring Kansas 35-28 in the second half.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, the Cougars put up 92 points, shooting 47.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 53.4%. They hit 56.2% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from three, connecting on just 32% (8/25). Their free-throw shooting was also an issue, as they made only 14 of 25 attempts (56%).

Rylan Griffen was a standout from beyond the arc, hitting 5 of 6 threes (83.3%) and finishing with 17 points. J'Wan Roberts led the team with 24 points and 9 rebounds, while Mylik Wilson shot 72.7% overall and 66.7% from three, contributing 18 points in just 23 minutes.

Cougars Team Defense

Houston's defense struggled, giving up 86 points on 45% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 51% of their two-point attempts, with 21 makes on 41 tries.

From beyond the arc, Houston's opponent shot 36%, connecting on 9 of 25 three-point attempts. The Cougars also sent them to the line 30 times, where they made 17 free throws.

Mountaineers Preview: Will West Virginia Pull Through as the Underdog Home Team?

The Mountaineers fell to 13-6 on the season after a 73-60 road loss to Kansas State on Saturday. Entering the game as +2.5 point underdogs, West Virginia not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The combined points for the game ended at 133, just over the 130.5 O/U line.

West Virginia found themselves in a deep hole early, trailing 42-18 at halftime. They showed some fight in the second half, outscoring the Wildcats 42-31, but the early deficit was too much to overcome.

Mountaineers Offense Breakdown

West Virginia's offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 36.8% from the field and 19% from beyond the arc, hitting only 4 of 21 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 39.7%, and they managed to score 60 points, with 14 offensive rebounds and 14 assists.

Javon Small led the way with 22 points and 5 assists, shooting 3 of 6 from three. Dug McDaniel added 15 points and 6 assists, while David N'Guessan contributed 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting. Max Jones shot 71.4% from the field, hitting 2 of 3 from deep, and Sencire Harris grabbed 9 rebounds to go along with his 12 points.

Mountaineers Team Defense

West Virginia's defense gave up 73 points, with the opposing team shooting 47% from the field. Inside the arc, they allowed 52% shooting, with the other team hitting 20 of 38 two-point attempts.

From three-point range, West Virginia's defense held the opposition to 6 made threes on 17 attempts, a 35% shooting rate. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 22 times, where they made 15 free throws, shooting 68%. West Virginia allowed 12 offensive rebounds.

Cougars vs Mountaineers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Cougars have a straight up record of 8-2 while going 4-5-1 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 75 points per game in these contests.
Across their last five home contests, West Virginia has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-1-1. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 67 points per game.
The last ten games that West Virginia was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 5-4-1 while going 5-5 straight up.
The last ten games that Houston was favored, they have an ATS mark of 7-2-1 while going 10-0 straight up.