The Texas Longhorns take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Texas West Virginia prediction and pick. Find how to watch Texas West Virginia.
This has been, and will continue to be, a very difficult season for West Virginia men's basketball. There is simply no avoiding that harsh reality. It seemed likely that as soon as Bob Huggins crossed the line and committed one final act which made it impossible for WVU to retain him, the Mountaineers — with an interim head coach — were going to struggle. Huggins' behavior was problematic, but his coaching acumen is unquestioned. He was and is one of the most successful coaches in college basketball over the past 35 years. Losing a coach like that will undeniably set back a program. West Virginia is in the midst of a long, hard slog, and it will almost certainly look for a permanent head coach to replace Eilert at the end of the season. It's not a knock on Eilert, merely a reflection of the fact that being an interim coach who replaces a legend is a virtually impossible task. That's not going to work out well for anyone, not just Eilert. West Virginia is 5-10 through 15 games and faces an uphill battle the rest of the way, including in this game against Texas.
Here are the Texas-West Virginia College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Texas-West Virginia Odds
Texas Longhorns: -5.5 (-110)
West Virginia Mountaineers: +5.5 (-110)
Over: 144.5 (-110)
Under: 144.5 (-110)
How To Watch Texas vs West Virginia
Time: 6:00 pm ET / 3:00 pm PT
TV: ESPN Plus
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Texas Could Cover the Spread
West Virginia just isn't very good. The Mountaineers are already working at a deficit compared to Texas and other Big 12 teams because they don't have an elite coach. They weren't able to hire a top-tier coach because of the timing of Huggins' dismissal. Other coaches had already grabbed jobs in the coaching carousel and were not going to leave for a patchwork situation in Morgantown. Not having an elite coach matters when one realizes that West Virginia doesn't have the high-end talent which exists at other top programs. WVU has had problems finding dependable and reliable scorers. The Mountaineers just don't have the ingredients needed to be an especially good team. They are shorthanded in too many places.
In addition to WVU's weaknesses, Texas is coming off a thrilling and close road win at Cincinnati which should give the Longhorns a lot of confidence entering this game. Dylan Disu scored 33 points and was a star for Texas in that win over the Bearcats. Oral Roberts transfer Max Abmas, an elite long-range shooter, hit the winning basket and provided numerous contributions to help the Horns cross the finish line in Cincinnati. Texas has multiple weapons it can throw at West Virginia, and the Mountaineers aren't likely to stand in their way.
Why West Virginia Could Cover the Spread
Have you followed college basketball this week? It's hard to win in this sport even if you're a clear favorite. Butler won at Marquette, Louisville won at Miami, Mississippi State beat Tennessee, Nebraska beat Purdue. West Virginia isn't as good as Texas, but it is playing at home in front of a fired-up crowd. Texas was fortunate to win at Cincinnati and will need a strong effort to win here. If Texas isn't playing at or near its best, it will get picked off by the Mountaineers.
Final Texas-West Virginia Prediction & Pick
The temptation is to take Texas, but this game seems to have upset potential. Stay away from a pregame bet and wait for a live play.
Final Texas-West Virginia Prediction & Pick: Texas -5.5
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