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Some fierce Big 12 action will be in full effect as the Cincinnati Bearcats take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown. It is time to take a look at our College Basketball odds series where our Cincinnati-West Virginia prediction and pick will be unveiled.
Entering the new week sitting in tenth place within the Big 12, the Bearcats managed to snap a mini two-game losing streak by defending their home court with a 68-57 win over UCF. As a whole, Cincinnati is 14-6 with a 3-4 Big 12 mark up to this point. Can Cincinnati give West Virginia a run for their money and improve their 2-3 record away from home while they're at it?
On the other side of things, the Mountaineers are enduring a season to forget, but they have managed to come out victorious in the last two games they have played at the WVU Coliseum. Overall, West Virginia is a sluggish 7-13 record with a 2-5 mark in conference play. Arguably enough, this year's Mountaineers squad is a far cry of what we are usually accustomed to with this basketball program.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Cincinnati-West Virginia Odds
Cincinnati: -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -164
West Virginia: +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +136
Over: 142.5 (-115)
Under: 142.5 (-105)
How to Watch Cincinnati vs. West Virginia
Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT
TV: Big 12/ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Cincinnati Will Cover The Spread/Win
Caught in the middle of an epic logjam in what is considered the best basketball conference in America, there is no question that Cincinnati needs every win they can get to keep pace in the Big 12.
Undoubtedly, the Bearcats favor flexing their muscles on the defensive end of the floor. While they aren't among one of the top defenses in the nation, they are extremely stingy and are seemingly always putting forth effort on every opponent's possession. As a whole, Cincy only surrenders 66.5 points per game which is the 53rd lowest mark in the nation. Furthermore, Cincinnati's bread and butter happens to be displayed whenever they are hauling in rebounds off of missed shots. Believe it or not, but the Bearcats average the 12th-most rebounds in the nation at 38.1 boards per game. This is an excellent statistic to keep in mind if you're planning on putting your faith in the Bearcats. With their extreme length, don't be shocked if Cincinnati eliminates any West Virginia second-chance opportunities down low while also providing some second-chances for themselves on the offensive end of things.
At the end of the day, Cincy has been plagued by the injury bug and even an illness to a couple of the top names on this roster, so a balanced, unselfish attack offensively will be pivotal in their chances to pursue a covering of the spread. All things considered, keep your eyes peeled on seven-footer Aziz Bandaogo to roam the paint like it's his second home.
Why West Virginia Will Cover The Spread/Win
In truth, long gone are the days of West Virginia Mountaineers basketball led by longtime head coach Bob Huggins. After a tumultuous exit from the program, the Hall of Fame coach has been replaced by interim head coach Josh Eilert. Although Eilert hasn't gotten off to the start that he would've liked to begin his coaching career at WVU, the opportunity to defend home court on Wednesday will be a major focus for this team.
In order to cover the spread and treat the home fans to a much-needed victory, be on the lookout for the Mountaineers to find creative ways to get the Bearcats in foul trouble early and often. For the most part, it has been West Virginia that has struggled mightily in multiple statistical categories across the board, but the one thing that they do excel at is in the form of knocking down free throws. Currently, the Mountaineers are connecting on 73% of their free-throw attempts which is a relative strength for this roster. All in all, making sharp cuts and aggressive drives to the basket in this one will ultimately pay dividends for a team that is willing to do anything to string together some victories in the win column.
Last but certainly not least, it is at least encouraging that there was plenty of good to take away from West Virginia's narrow road loss against Oklahoma State. With a combination of some stellar three-point shooting, while keeping turnovers down to a minimum offensively, the Mountaineers could find themselves in a pretty good position if they can remain focused in these areas of the game.
Final Cincinnati-West Virginia Prediction & Pick
With the college basketball regular season approaching its final month of the season, this game will certainly be meaningful for both sides. Arguably enough, home-court advantage reigns supreme in this sport, and even though the Bearcats may be the better team than the Mountaineers on paper, there is no doubt that Morgantown will be rocking come Wednesday evening.
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Final Cincinnati-West Virginia Prediction & Pick: West Virginia +3.5 (-110)
