ESPN BPI Tilts Heavily Toward West Virginia in Regular Season Finale vs. UCF

Saturday evening, the West Virginia Mountaineers will look to close out the regular season against the UCF Knights.

What the BPI says

According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI), West Virginia has a 75.4% chance to close out the season strong while UCF has a 24.6% chance of pulling off the upset in Morgantown.

The Mountaineers should be considered heavy favorites in this game, but 75% may be just a tad too high. The Knights have caught some momentum lately and pose some challenges offensively with how fast they play and their ability to knock down shots.

West Virginia's recent games

West Virginia University guard Sencire Harris | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

It was a tale of two games last week in Utah for the Mountaineers. After a great start defensively against BYU, the Cougars lifted the lid off of the rim and cruised to an 18-point win. In the second half, WVU allowed a staggering 52 points, which was just four less points than West Virginia scored the entire game. On Tuesday, Darian DeVries' squad bounced back with a 71-69 nail-biting win over Utah, picking up the season sweep.

UCF's recent games

Mar 5, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights guard Keyshawn Hall (4) drives past Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Khalil Brantley (5) during the second half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

After losing seven straight, UCF has found a way to catch some fire here of late, winning three of its last four. They pulled out four-point wins over Utah and Kansas State and had a pretty comfortable 13-point victory over Oklahoma State. Their only loss came to TCU on the road, which is where most of their struggles have occurred. The Knights are just 2-7 in Big 12 Conference play when playing away from Orlando.

What the BPI says

West Virginia's recent games

UCF's recent games

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