The Houston Cougars take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown, WV. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Houston is favored by 9 points on the spread with a moneyline of -450. The total is set at 123.5 points.
Here are my Houston vs. West Virginia predictions and college basketball picks for January 29, 2025.
Houston vs. West Virginia Prediction, Picks
My Pick: West Virginia +8.5 (Play to +7)
My Houston vs. West Virginia best bet is on the Mountaineers spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Houston vs. West Virginia Odds, Betting Lines
| Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -110 | 124.5 -110 / -110 | -455 |
| West Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -110 | 124.5 -110 / -110 | +345 |
- Houston vs. West Virginia spread: Houston -9.5, West Virginia +9.5
- Houston vs. West Virginia over/under: 124.5
- Houston vs. West Virginia moneyline: Houston ML -455, West Virginia ML +345
Houston vs. West Virginia Pick, NCAAB Preview
You'd be hard-pressed to find a better situational spot on Wednesday than in Morgantown. Fresh off a pair of tough losses, the Mountaineers return home in search of a win over another big-time team — the Houston Cougars.
It feels like West Virginia plays up and down to its competition. It owns wins over four teams inside KenPom's top 15, but it also has a pair of losses to sub-top-55 teams in the last week that have muddied its resume a bit.
West Virginia would prefer a lower-scoring defensive battle. The Mountaineers rank 19th in KenPom's defensive efficiency while holding teams to a 45% effective field goal percentage and 28% from 3.
One concerning thing to watch is on the glass, as West Virginia is a very poor rebounding team. That spells disaster versus Houston, which feasts on the offensive boards.
If you peel back the layers of the onion, it's no surprise West Virginia lost to Kansas State and Arizona State. The Mountaineers shot a ghastly 8-of-50 from downtown, which leaves them zero chance of competing unless the defense has an elite performance.
They attempt 3s on 47% of their field goal attempts, so they'll need to shoot it well against this Houston defense to keep this game within single digits.
Veteran Javon Small is one of the best guards in the country. He leads West Virginia with 19.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, but he shoots 42% from the field and 34% from 3.
His shooting numbers aren't aren't amazing, but context is needed. He has the ball constantly and is the only real shot creator on West Virginia's roster with Tucker DeVries injured.
Another West Virginia player has to help Small. Jonathan Powell and Tobi Okani are two names to watch, as Powell is a big-time shooter and Okani can score inside and out.
After Duke nearly took a loss to NC State on Monday, Houston moved to No. 2 in KenPom's rankings and is nipping on Auburn's heels for No. 1. I'll be the one to say it: I don't believe that Houston is the second- or third-best team in America.
Kansas should've beat Houston. The Jayhawks led Houston by six points with 90 seconds left in regulation and by six with 15 seconds left in overtime. However, Kansas gave the game away.
The Cougars are shockingly better offensively this year than last year, ranking 10th in offensive efficiency compared to 19th in 2024.
I think the biggest reason is the development of J'Wan Roberts. He's a prototypical Houston big who plays hard and is a great defender, but he's now a real offensive weapon. The 6-foot-8 forward scored 21+ points in three of the past four games, so West Virginia has to keep an eye on him.
Guard play is paramount for the Coogs, as LJ Cryer leads the team in scoring, Emanuel Sharp is their best shooter and Milos Uzan is the offensive conductor.
Cryer just can't score inside the arc, shooting a shocking 34% from 2 compared to 42% from 3.
Sharp is the key here, though. He willed Houston back with two late 3s versus the Jayhawks, and he's shooting 44% from deep.
The key to Houston being good under Kelvin Sampson is defense, as it ranks No. 2 in KenPom's defensive efficiency. Opponents shoot just 40% from inside the arc — which is the lowest in America — and force turnovers at a 23% rate.
The great thing for West Virginia is the Mountaineers seldom turn it over. That's, in part, thanks to Small, since he runs the offense comfortably.
This is just a huge number to cover on the road against a team that beat a great Iowa State squad in the same venue.
It'll take a down game from the Cougars, but West Virginia is due for positive regression.
