Utah Runnin’ Utes vs West Virginia Mountaineers Matchup

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

Utah vs West Virginia Prediction

Looking to win big? The Runnin' Utes and Mountaineers face off at 5:00 ET on ESPN+. The Mountaineers are hosting the game at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, WV. The over/under for this game is set at 135.5 points, and West Virginia is favored by -7.5 vs. Utah in a Big 12 conference matchup.

Utah vs. West Virginia Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Utah Runnin' Utes at West Virginia Mountaineers
Where: Morgantown at WVU Coliseum
Date: Saturday, February 8th
Betting Odds WVIR -7.5, UTAH +255 | WVIR -360 O/U 135.5

Runnin' Utes Preview: Will Utah Pull Through as the Underdog Road Team?

Utah Runnin' Utes Recent Game/Games

Utah improved to 14-9 on the season with a 72-59 win over Colorado on Wednesday. The Utes, who were -7 favorites, covered the spread with the victory.

Utah led 32-20 at halftime and added 40 points in the 2nd half while allowing 39. The total points for the game were 131, falling short of the 142.5 over/under line.

Runnin' Utes Offense Breakdown

Utah put up 72 points in their latest game, shooting 48.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 57.4%. They hit 44.4% of their threes, going 8-for-18 from deep, and connected on 51.7% of their two-point attempts.

Gabe Madsen led the way with 17 points, hitting 4-of-7 from three. The Utes struggled at the free-throw line, making just 51.4% of their attempts, but grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and dished out 16 assists.

Runnin' Utes Team Defense

Despite Utah's defensive efforts, they allowed 59 points while the opposing team shot 48% from the field. The Utes gave up 23 field goals, including 15 two-pointers at a 51% clip.

From beyond the arc, Utah's opponent hit 8 of 18 threes, shooting 44%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 35 times, where they made 18 free throws, shooting 51%. Utah allowed 12 offensive rebounds.

Mountaineers Preview: Will West Virginia Win at Home?

West Virginia Mountaineers Recent Game/Games

West Virginia fell to 14-8 on the season after a 65-60 road loss to TCU on Wednesday. The Mountaineers entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 125 fell short of the 128.5 over/under line.

West Virginia held a 29-28 lead at halftime but allowed 37 points in the second half while scoring 31. The Mountaineers will look to bounce back after this loss.

Mountaineers Offense Breakdown

West Virginia's offense put up 60 points in their last game, shooting 43.1% from the field. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 26.7% of their threes (8/30), but were efficient inside, connecting on 60.7% of their two-point attempts (17/28).

Vasean Allette led the way with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Noah Reynolds and Javon Small each added 20 points. Small also contributed 7 assists, and Reynolds was efficient, shooting 66.7% from the field and from three-point range (2/3).

Mountaineers Team Defense

West Virginia's defense gave up 65 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 42% from the field. They allowed 18 two-point baskets on 38 attempts, a 47% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, the opposition hit 3 of 12 threes, shooting 25%. West Virginia also sent them to the line 23 times, where they made 20 free throws, an 87% success rate. The Mountaineers gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

Runnin' Utes vs Mountaineers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five games away from home, the Runnin' Utes have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 1-4 vs. the spread. The team averaged 59 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last five home games, West Virginia has an ATS record of just 2-2-1. However, their overall record was 2-3 while averaging 63 points per game.
As the betting underdog, the Runnin' Utes have an ATS mark of just 2-3 in their last five games. Utah posted a straight up mark of 2-3 in these matchups.
Through their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Mountaineers have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 1-2.