The West Virginia Mountaineers take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Cincinnati is favored by 5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -240. The total is set at 127 points.
Here’s my West Virginia vs. Cincinnati predictions and college basketball picks for February 5, 2026.
West Virginia vs Cincinnati Prediction
My Pick: Under 127 (Play to 125.5)
My West Virginia vs Cincinnati best bet is on the under. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
West Virginia vs. Cincinnati Odds
| West Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 127 -110o / -110u | +195 |
| Cincinnati Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 127 -110o / -110u | -240 |
- West Virginia vs Cincinnati spread: Cincinnati -5.5
- West Virginia vs Cincinnati over/under: 127 points
- West Virginia vs Cincinnati moneyline: West Virginia +195, Cincinnati -240
West Virginia vs Cincinnati College Basketball Betting Preview
West Virginia Basketball
West Virginia is slowly trending in the wrong direction on the NCAA Tournament bubble line. The Mountaineers are 14-8 overall and 5-4 in league play, and they’re entering a grueling four-game stretch.
The Mountaineers have to play a slow, half-court game to have a chance to win Big 12 matchups, as they rank 361st in adjusted tempo.
Head coach Ross Hodge is a branch off the Grant McCasland coaching tree, and he follows a similar script to his mentor: a defensive-minded coach. The Mountaineers check in at No. 35 in KenPom's defensive efficiency. Their biggest strength is limiting teams from scoring inside, as opponents shoot just 45% on 2-pointers.
Plus, West Virginia is terrific on the glass, giving up offensive rebounds just 25% of the time. That allows the Mountaineers to settle into their slow pace and play the half-court game they desire.
It's almost a must for West Virginia to be close to perfect defensively due to its offensive hardships. It ranks 133rd in offensive efficiency, per KenPom, and has scored fewer than 65 points in four of its nine conference games.
Sure, part of the low-scoring totals are pace-related — the fewer possessions you have, the less you're going to score. West Virginia is different, though, as you can chalk up a couple of four-plus minute scoring dry spells per game.
The biggest factor in avoiding those dry spells is shooting well from beyond the arc, as over 43% of the Mountaineers' shots come from deep. They shoot a solid 35% from 3-point land, with guards Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff guiding the attack.
Huff leads the team with 15 points per game, but he can be streaky due to taking tough looks.
Eaglestaff has been hot of late, boosting his 3-point percentage to 36.5%.
Cincinnati Basketball
Cincinnati took a total beatdown from Houston in its last game, dropping its record to 11-11 overall and a woeful 3-6 in Big 12 play.
Similar to West Virginia, Cincinnati's defense is elite, ranking 10th in defensive efficiency, per KenPom. The Bearcats have a terrifying interior defense. They have a pair of bigs in Moustapha Thiam and Baba Miller, who are both over 6-foot-11 and can defend guards or bigs. That duo leads to the Bearcats limiting teams to 47% shooting on 2s.
Plus, they do the little things well, as they give up offensive boards just 25% of the time and rarely send teams to the foul line.
For the Bearcats to beat West Virginia, they have to shoot well from deep. I already touched on West Virginia's interior defense, and the best source of offense for Cincinnati is scoring inside with Thiam and Miller.
In response, the Bearcats need to drill some 3s. They shoot 44% of their shots from that area of the floor and connect on just 30% of them, but they have shooting upside.
Day Day Thomas is the best shooter on the roster, making 40% of his jumpers. Kerr Kriisa, Jizzle James and Jalen Celestine are each hitting 36% from deep, but have shown better shooting upside in past years. They'll have chances to hit 3s and will need to make West Virginia pay.
West Virginia vs. Cincinnati Betting Analysis
The spread isn't worth playing on either end. KenPom gives Cincy a four-point edge, and the spread is at -5.5. I wanted Cincinnati at -3 or less, so it'll be a pass for me.
The total is appealing, though.
Sitting at 127.5, I see some value here. With the Mountaineers and Bearcats each posting several 60-point outings in league play, it's very possible each adds another to the tally.
The Bearcats will look to push the pace more than their opposition, but their offense is outside the top 200 in KenPom.
If one of the teams finishes in the high 50s, I wouldn't be surprised.
My Pick: Under 127 (Play to 125.5)
