Houston vs West Virginia Odds & Picks: Trust The Cougars

No. 7 Houston looks to keep its conference record spotless on a trip to Morgantown to visit West Virginia, which has seen a pair of wins and trio of losses in its last five outings. The lack of consistency for the Mountaineers gives the Cougars a betting edge as they enter tonight's campaign as large 9.5-point road favorites. Houston has only been favored under the double-digits three times this season, going 1-2 ATS. However, going 7-2 ATS since mid-December has promoted their spread reputation to trustworthy enough to defend tonight. 

Houston vs West Virginia Odds Today

Matchup Page: Houston vs West Virginia, 7:00 PM ET

Odds as of January 29 at Sportsbook

Houston vs West Virginia Picks Today

Houston -9.5 (-110) at Sportsbook

Exactly two weeks ago, the Cougars stomped all over the Mountaineers in a 70-54 finish. Houston took a commanding 40-27 lead after the first half and never gave West Virginia a chance to get back into the game. 

Kelvin Sampson's defense, which ranks second in the KenPom ratings, is a riddle not many have been able to solve. The Cougars have held opponents to 57-points or fewer in 14 of their 19 outings, seven of which were held to under 50 points. Houston just has an art of suffocating teams in their own half of the court, allowing competitors just 19.5 defensive rebounds per game (ranked 18th) while simultaneously scooping up 11.7 offensive rebounds (ranked 17th).

The Cougars also make sure their opponents aren't capitalizing on any extra points by allowing just 30.2% from the perimeter. However, West Virginia can play that game, too. The Mountaineers are allowing opponents just a 28.5 3PT%, the eighth-best in college basketball. Both teams carry total records that tilt more in favor of the UNDER, but this notoriously low 122.5 point total seems like a trap. 

With their last meeting not too far in the memory bank, I trust Houston to maintain its streak. If the Cougars swiftly covered the 16.5-point spread against the Mountaineers two weeks ago, they can pull it off again. Don't overthink this. 

Houston vs West Virginia prop bet

J'Wan Roberts OVER 6.5 Rebounds (-138) at Sportsbook

Roberts has been flexing his rebounding game, cashing the OVER on 6.5 rebounds in 11 of his last 13 road appearances. West Virginia gives up plenty of rebounds offensively (9.8) and defensively (24.4) that groups them with some of the worst marks in the nation. In their last three, the Mountaineers have coughed up 28 defensive rebounds on average. This season, the senior is also playing over 30 minutes a game while on the road—being responsible for a brunt of the workload. 

Houston vs West Virginia Betting Trends