West Virginia vs Houston

Houston’s veteran core of Emanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan and defensive ace Joseph Tugler rolls into this one on a five-game winning streak, with road wins at Arkansas, Cincinnati and Baylor and a 14-1 overall mark that again has the Cougars near the top of the Big 12 and the national rankings. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/roster/_/id/248/houston-cougars?utm_source=openai)) West Virginia has won three of its last four (including an 86-75 home win over Kansas) but is still bedding in a largely retooled rotation built around guards Honor Huff and Jasper Floyd, and this group now has to solve a Houston defense that already held the Mountaineers to 54 and 49 points in last season’s meetings. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/roster/_/id/277/sort/weight/west-virginia-mountaineers?utm_source=openai)) With Houston having captured 46 of its last 47 at the Fertitta Center and only reserve guard Kordel Jefferson sidelined after knee surgery, laying -1600 on the Cougars’ moneyline earns an A- grade: extremely likely to cash, though the heavy juice keeps the value below elite. ([houstonchronicle.com](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/college/cougars/article/uh-basketball-middle-tennessee-how-to-watch-21265149.php?utm_source=openai)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 13/01/2026 10:03

West Virginia’s offense has consistently stalled against Houston’s scheme, managing just 54 and 49 points in last season’s two meetings and only 55 in a 2024 trip to the Fertitta Center, even as this year’s Mountaineers come in a solid 11-5 overall with some recent offensive outbursts at home. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/jwan-roberts-big-night-leads-no-10-houston-past-west-virginia-2025-01-16/?utm_source=openai)) Houston, meanwhile, has leaned on a grind-it-out, half-court approach behind Sharp’s shot-making and Uzan’s control of tempo, pairing one of the nation’s stingiest defenses with a deliberate offense that often drags Big 12 games into the 120s rather than true shootouts. ([houstonchronicle.com](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/college/article/uh-basketball-emanuel-sharp-3-point-shooting-20030808.php?utm_source=openai)) With three straight matchups between these programs landing at 134, 119 and 112 total points and the Cougars again expected to dictate pace at home, Under 133.5 (-110) gets a B+ grade: strongly supported by recent series history and Houston’s style, but still vulnerable to late foul-game scoring if WVU can hang around. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/jwan-roberts-big-night-leads-no-10-houston-past-west-virginia-2025-01-16/?utm_source=openai)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 13/01/2026 10:03

Emanuel Sharp and Houston’s pressure defense have already produced home wins over West Virginia by 34 and 16 points in their last two Fertitta Center meetings, and this version of the Cougars again sits atop the Big 12 at 14-1 with a five-game win streak despite losing reserve guard Kordel Jefferson to knee surgery. ([basketball.realgm.com](https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/boxscore/2024-01-06/West-Virginia-at-Houston/457506?utm_source=openai)) West Virginia’s current group, led in the backcourt by Honor Huff and Jasper Floyd and supported by veterans like Treysen Eaglestaff, has been far more competitive lately (three wins in its last four) but still showed its vulnerability in an 80-59 road loss at Iowa State and now walks into a building where Houston has captured 46 of its last 47. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/roster/_/id/277/sort/weight/west-virginia-mountaineers?utm_source=openai)) Given the history of double-digit Cougar wins in this matchup and Houston’s current form, laying Houston -13.5 (-110) earns a B grade: there’s clear margin for another comfortable home victory, but Big 12 variance and the risk of a backdoor cover in the final minutes keep this from grading higher. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/jwan-roberts-big-night-leads-no-10-houston-past-west-virginia-2025-01-16/?utm_source=openai)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 13/01/2026 10:03