Colorado Buffaloes vs. West Virginia: Preview, Prediction, Betting Odds, Upset Alert?

The Colorado Buffaloes pulled off the upset win against the TCU Horned Frogs. Tad Boyle and the Buffs are on to the second round to face the West Virgninia Mountaineers on Wednesday, March 12, at 1 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Can the Buffaloes pull off another upset?

Mar 11, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Julian Hammond III (3) looks to pass during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team pulled off the upset win against the TCU Horned Frogs, 69-67 in the Big 12 basketball tournament. The Buffaloes are the lowest seed at No. 16, but is moving on to the second round. The Colorado Buffaloes will face the No. 8 West Virginia Mountaineers on Wednesday, March 12.

How to Watch:

The Colorado Buffaloes will face the West Virginia Mountaineers on March 12 at 1 p.m. MT at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Feb 18, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Andrej Jakimovski (23) dribbles against Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Betting Odds:

The Colorado Buffaloes are 6.5-point underdogs on Fanduel Sportsbook against the West Virginia Mountaineers. The money line for Colorado is +205, and the total points are 129.5. 

Colorado vs. West Virginia preview:

The Colorado Buffaloes pulled off the upset in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. The Buffaloes took down the Horned Frogs 69-67. It was a close matchup until the end. TCU led at the half by only one point. The Buffaloes only outscored the Horned Frogs by three points in the second half, just enough to secure the big win.

Colorado forward Andrej Jakimovski had a big game, scoring 18 points with 17 rebounds against TCU. Guard Julian Hammond III scored 16 points, while forward Trevor Baskin tied Jakimovski with seven assists. 

After the game, Colorado coach Tad Boyle spoke to the media about the win.

“When you don’t play your best and we were far from our best today and you figure out how to win a game in March, it says something about your guys,” Boyle said. “This team’s come a long way. We’ve been through a lot together, and they’ve stuck together to see them with the fight today even though we didn’t play our best.”

Mar 8, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Julian Hammond III (3) reacts before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Boyle went on to give credit to Baskin and Jakimovski for the game that they had.

“They did what they had to do. I thought these guys, Trevor and Andre, played like seniors, and that’s what you need to have this time of year. You got to have your veteran guys that you count on play the way they played today,” Boyle said.

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Despite only three conference wins in the season, the Buffaloes are off to the second round. Colorado is averaging 70.1 points per game.

The Buffs are led by Hammond, who is averaging 12.6 points, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals. Baskin leads the team, averaging 4.9 rebounds, and forward Bangot Dak leads the team, averaging 1.4 blocks.

Colorado will next face the West Virginia Mountaineers, who had a bye. West Virginia ended the regular season with a 19-12 record, 10-10 in Big 12 conference play. 

The Mountaineers are averaging 68.4 points per game, led by guard Javon Small, who is averaging 18.5 points per game. Small also leads the team, averaging 5.6 assists.

West Virginia forward Amani Hansberry leads the team, averaging 6.5 rebounds. West Virginia is led by multiple players as guard Sencire Harris averages 1.6 steals, and center Eduardo Andre leads with 1.4 blocks.

The Colorado Buffaloes will have many players to watch for in the matchup against a rested West Virginia team. The Buffaloes and Mountaineers have only faced each other once in history, in their matchup this season on Jan. 12. 

Mar 8, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle during a timeout in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

West Virginia won the matchup 78-70. Despite the loss, Hammond scored 23 points for the Buffaloes. Defensively, Colorado allowed four West Virginia players to score double-digit points, with Small scoring 26.

Colorado vs. West Virginia prediction:

The Colorado Buffaloes will fall short against the West Virginia Mountaineers, 74-68.

If Colorado defeats West Virginia, the Buffaloes will move on to face the No. 1 Houston Cougars in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12, at 1 p.m. MT. The winner of the matchup will move on to the Semifinals .

• Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. 
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