Feb 5, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Javon Small (7) tries to grab the ball in front of West Virginia Mountaineers guard Joseph Yesufu (1) during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

West Virginia is a Heavy Favorite Over Utah in ESPN BPI Prediction

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Feb 8, 2025 8:48 AM ET

Saturday evening, the West Virginia Mountaineers will take on the Utah Utes for the seventh time in program history and will be looking for their first win in the series. Five of the six matchups took place on a neutral floor, with the most recent meeting taking place in 1998 in Anaheim, California

Is today the day the Mountaineers finally get one on the Utes?

What the BPI says

According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI) matchup predictor, West Virginia has a 71.3% chance to get back in the win column while Utah has just a 28.7% chance to win their first-ever game in the WVU Coliseum.

As much as I believe WVU comes out on top, I'm stunned the percentage for the Mountaineers is as high as it is. These two are fairly even, and if WVU is without Sencire Harris, it makes it an uphill battle defensively.

West Virginia's recent games

WVU looked like itself in its Sunday afternoon win over the Cincinnati Bearcats, playing smothering defense and running efficient offense in the half court. On Wednesday against TCU, the offense evaporated in the second half, finishing the game shooting just 26% from three-point range. The Horned Frogs got to the free throw line a bunch and cashed in on 20 of their 23 attempts, marking their best performance of the season from the charity stripe.

Utah's recent games

A week ago, the Utes had a horrible day defensively on the road against Oklahoma State, allowing the Cowboys to post 40+ points in each half. The Pokes shot 49% from the floor and 40% from three-point land. They were able to get back on track earlier this week, thanks to a matchup with Colorado, who remains winless in league play. Utah held the Buffs to 38% shooting and 25% from deep, putting together a much better effort defensively. If they want to walk out of Morgantown with a win, they're going to need to repeat that effort.