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Utah is having a steady year so far, while West Virginia is struggling and desperately needs a win. It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Utah-West Virginia prediction and pick.
Utah is 12-8 this season, with notable conference wins against TCU, BYU, and Cincinnati. However, the story of their season is their losses to Mississippi State, Saint Mary's, Baylor twice, Iowa, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Houston, and Baylor. The key for the Utes is their do-it-all guard, Gabe Madsen, and they need him to have a big game against this Mountaineers defense in Morgantown.
West Virginia is 14-8 this season, with notable wins against Gonzaga, Arizona, Georgetown, Kansas, and Iowa State. They also lost to Pitt, Louisville, Arizona, and Houston twice. Javon Small has been the engine that makes this offense go for the Mountaineers, especially with Tucker DeVries injured. Small is the key for West Virginia, and they need him to show up and continue his march toward the Big 12 Player of the Year award.
Here are the Utah-West Virginia College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Utah-West Virginia Odds
Utah: +7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +250
West Virginia: -7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -315
Over: 135.5 (-110)
Under: 135.5 (-110)
How to Watch Utah vs. West Virginia
Time: 5:00 pm ET/2:00 pm PT
TV: ESPN+
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Utah Will Cover The Spread/Win
West Virginia has been one of the worst offenses in the Big 12. They score 69.3 points per game, have a field-goal percentage of 42.8%, and a three-point percentage of 32.9%. KenPom loves this defense, too. They are 17th in adjusted defense with a 94.7 rating.
Only two Mountaineers are averaging more than double digits in scoring this season, and Javon Small is the leading scorer with 19.1 points per game. With DeVries out for the year, he immediately feels even more pressure. He also leads the team in ball movement, with 5.2 assists per game, but the rest of the team has not moved the ball well enough, only averaging 13.7 per game.
This offense has some great pieces, like Small, but they have been unable to do much consistently. I think the game being at home helps an offense that has been lifeless most of the season. The Utes don't have an impressive defense, and the Mountaineers should score just enough.
Why West Virginia Will Cover The Spread/Win
Utah's offense has struggled to find much consistency this season. They score 76 points per game, have a field goal percentage of 46%, and have a three-point percentage of 33.8%. KenPom also shows how much this offense is struggling. They are 99th in adjusted offense and have a 111 rating.
Only two Utes are scoring over double digits, and Gabe Madsen is the most consistent player on this offense. Madsen leads the scoring charts with 15 points per game. Ball movement has been essential to this offense, which ranks eighth in total assists, averaging 18.4 per game. Miro Little is the assists leader, averaging 3.6 per game.
The Utes have the coaching and pieces to be a great offense, but things are not clicking completely. This is a bad matchup for the Utes to try and get right because West Virginia has one of the best defenses in the Big 12. This favors the Mountaineers in Morgantown.
Utah's defense has struggled to do much of anything well in this matchup. They allow 70.1 points per game, 40.3% from the field, and 32.1% from behind the arc. On KenPom, the Utes are the 78th-ranked adjusted defensive rating with a 101.5 rating.
This frontcourt has struggled with rebounding. Keanu Dawes is the only player averaging five rebounds or more per game, at 5.2. Meanwhile, Lawson Lovering leads in blocks, contributing 1.1 per game.
Their on-ball defense has been okay at best. Three different Utes are tied for the team lead in steals, with 0.9 per game. Given how inept the Mountainers have been on offense outside of Javon Small, the Utes might have an opportunity for success in this road game against West Virginia.
West Virginia's defense has been fantastic this season. They allow 63.7 points per game, 40.1% shooting from the field and 28.9% from behind the arc. They are also 17th in defensive rating on KenPom at 94.7.
Down low, Amani Hansberry has been the primary key, averaging six rebounds per game, but the rest of the frontcourt has not been great. Two players average at least one block, with Eduardo Andre leading with 1.7.
Three players are averaging at least one steal, and Small leads the team with 1.8 per game. This defense is the biggest key to the Mountaineers' success. They have locked down teams this season, and it should be no different against the Utes.
Final Utah-West Virginia Prediction & Pick
Utah is outmatched in this game. Small should score enough to set the tone on offense, and then this defense will lock down the Utes. West Virginia wins and covers at home against Utah.
Final Utah-West Virginia Prediction & Pick: West Virginia -7.5 (-110)
