Houston vs. West Virginia Preview and Pick – Jan 29, 2025

The sixth-ranked Houston Cougars (16-3) have a solid road test when they face the West Virginia Mountaineers (13-6) on Wednesday, January 29 at 7:00 PM ET. This showdown will take place at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia, where the Cougars are favored with a -8.5 (-105 at MyBookie) point spread.

Houston Cougars Betting Preview

The Cougars have not lost since the beginning of December, with a 12-game win streak on the line for this matchup. They recently had a double-overtime thriller against the 12th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks.

One highlight of the game was when Houston stole an inbound pass from Kansas and nailed a three pointer to force the second overtime. J’Wan Roberts led with 24 points and nine rebounds, as four players in total made it to double figures.

Both teams were similar on paper, with only a few key differences that gave the Cougars an edge. For example, they had five turnovers and forced the Jayhawks with 12 and allowed the Cougars to get 17 points off of that.

The Cougars’ offense has established 76.7 points per game and are shooting 45.9 percent from the field. Their defense has allowed 55.6 points per game in return, which shows an exciting margin of error.

West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Preview

The Mountaineers have lost their last two games and are 2-3 over their previous five matchups. They recently fell short 73-60 against the Kansas State Wildcats.

This was a disappointing loss since the Wildcats are now 8-11 on the season, which knocked the Mountaineers out of the top 25. With a 42-18 deficit at the half, this was essentially over. Javon Small led with 22 points and five assists.

West Virginia never led in this game and the Wildcats largest lead was to 26. Since the game was within 13 points, the stat sheet did not look as bad once the game ended. The Wildcats had more free throws made and fast break points to give them an edge.

The Mountaineers are averaging 71.2 points per game and are connecting on 42.3 percent of their shots. Defensively they are allowing opponents to average 64.4 points per contest. This shows a slight margin of error, but not as appealing as the Cougars.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The best Houston Cougars vs. West Virginia Mountaineers betting odds can be found through MyBookie. Current betting odds reveal the Cougars as 8.5-point favorites. According to market predictions, the Cougars have an 85.1 percent chance of winning.

These two met back a few weeks ago, where the Cougars won 70-54 at home. The Mountaineers have not looked great in their last five performances and do not appear to be able to cover the spread here.

Final Pick: Houston Cougars -8.5 (-105)