The West Virginia Mountaineers and Colorado Buffaloes continue Big 12 Conference men’s basketball action on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Boulder, Colorado.
Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. central on ESPN+. The Mountaineers (11-3, 2-1 in Big 12) are ranked No. 21 in the AP Top 25, while Colorado (9-5, 0-3) is not ranked.
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West Virginia has been one of the best stories in the Big 12 this season despite losing one of their top players, Tucker DeVries, to a season-ending injury. The team jumped out to a 2-1 start to conference play with wins over Kansas and Oklahoma State, followed by a loss to Arizona. Colorado, on the other hand, has found itself in a tough spot, losing three straight league games to No. 3 Iowa State, Arizona State, and UCF.
Here is a preview of Sunday’s game.
How to Watch West Virginia vs. Colorado
Date: Sunday, January 12, 2025
Time: 2 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPN+
Site: CU Events Center, Boulder, Colorado
West Virginia vs. Colorado Betting Odds, Lines
Opening Line: West Virginia +2.5
Current Line: West Virginia +2
Over/Under: 134.5
West Virginia vs. Colorado Predictions
Darian DeVries has been one of the most successful first-year hires of anyone in the Big 12 Conference after leaving Drake University for Morgantown. He has his team comfortably in the race for a Big 12 title this season with an overall record of 11-3 and a league record of 2-1. Colorado had been fading fast in conference play after a solid outing in their regular season opener, competing with the league’s best team, No. 3 Iowa State.
Related: Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings: Two Newcomers in the Top 5
The Mountaineers feature the league’s leading scorer, Oklahoma State transfer Javon Small, who is currently averaging 19.4 points per game. Small is also posting 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on 43.6% shooting from the field.
The major statistical difference in the matchup comes when dealing with West Virginia’s defense and Colorado’s offense. The Buffaloes are the Big 12’s 10th-best scoring offense, averaging 74.9 points per game, while the Mountaineers check in as the league’s fourth-best scoring defense, holding opponents to just 63.4 PPG.
Colorado’s combination of Julian Hammond III, Andrej Jakimovski, Elijah Malone, and Trevor Baskin will be hard-pressed to score in the matchup, and if they can attack West Virginia in the paint, the Buffaloes should have a shot.
West Virginia 71, Colorado 65
ESPN Matchup Predictor: West Virginia (58.9% Chance of Winning)
Odds Shark Prediction: West Virginia 83, Colorado 63
