The West Virginia Mountaineers (11-3) travel to face off against the Colorado Buffaloes (9-5) on Sunday, January 12th. This game will be played at CU Events Center in Boulder and televised on ESPN+. Both West Virginia and Colorado will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 ET.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs Colorado Buffaloes
The Mountaineers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
West Virginia fell to 11-3 on the season after a 75-56 loss to Arizona on Tuesday. The Mountaineers were +4 underdogs at home and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 131, which was under the O/U line of 143.5.
West Virginia trailed 39-28 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 28 points while allowing 36.
The Buffaloes Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Colorado dropped to 9-5 on the season after a narrow 75-74 road loss to UCF on Wednesday. The Buffaloes entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs but managed to cover the spread.
Colorado led 37-34 at halftime but allowed 41 points in the 2nd half while scoring 37. The game’s total points of 149 narrowly exceeded the O/U line of 148.5.
Mountaineers Offense Breakdown
West Virginia struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 56 points with a field goal percentage of 36.2% (21/58). Their effective field goal percentage was 43.1%, and they hit only 27.6% of their threes, going 8/29 from deep.
KJ Lewis stood out, shooting 69.2% (9/13) and adding 21 points and 4 assists. Javon Small contributed 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, despite shooting 35.3% overall and 3/9 from three.
Buffaloes Offense Breakdown
In their last game, the Buffaloes put up 74 points, shooting 52.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 60.9%. They connected on 53.8% of their threes, going 7-for-13, and hit 79.2% from the free-throw line, making 19 of 24 attempts.
Julian Hammond III led the way with 26 points and 5 assists, shooting 57.1% overall and 50% from deep. Andrej Jakimovski was also efficient, hitting 4 of 5 threes and shooting 66.7% from the field, finishing with 16 points.
Mountaineers Team Defense
West Virginia’s defense held their opponent to 75 points on 36% shooting from the field. They allowed 21 made field goals on 58 attempts.
From beyond the arc, West Virginia’s defense gave up 8 threes on 29 attempts, a 27% shooting percentage. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 8 times, where they made 6 free throws.
Buffaloes Team Defense
Even with West Virginia’s defensive efforts, they couldn’t keep their opponent from putting up 75 points. The Mountaineers held them to just 36% shooting overall, with 21 made field goals out of 58 attempts.
From beyond the arc, West Virginia’s defense limited their opponent to 8 three-pointers on 29 attempts, a 27% shooting rate. They also sent them to the free-throw line 8 times, where they made 6 shots, shooting 75%.
Mountaineers vs Buffaloes Trends
- Across the Mountaineers last ten road games, the team averaged 72 points per game while allowing 80. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 6-4, while going 3-7 straight-up.
- Across their ten previous home games, Colorado has an ATS mark of 7-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 5-5 while averaging 71 points per game.
- West Virginia has done well both straight up and vs the spread as the underdog, going 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS in their last three games.
- In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Buffaloes have a strong straight up record of 3-0. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.
Mountaineers vs Buffaloes Prediction
We’re calling a win for the Buffaloes, with a final score of 76-71, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Buffaloes at -1.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 136.5, and our model predicts the Mountaineers and Buffaloes to score a combined 147 points. We recommend betting on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 12, 2025 Colorado Buffaloes, West Virginia Mountaineers