Score Predictions for West Virginia vs. Cincinnati

Thursday night, West Virginia will aim to get back on the winning side of things and sweep the series against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Here's how we see this one going down.

Schuyler Callihan: Cincinnati 63, West Virginia 58

Ross Hodge had a strong gameplan in the first matchup for Cincinnati's bigs, and his guys executed. Physicality has been a weakness of this team all season long, and to expect them to win that battle in the paint against Cincinnati again is a bold expectation, if you ask me.

If Honor Huff can't shake loose of his ice-cold shooting streak, they are going to need guys like Brenen Lorient and Harlan Obioha to pick up the slack. Considering how inconsistent they've been on that end of the floor, I'm not sure I can put my faith in that happening.

Not to mention, these slow starts West Virginia has been getting out to are a serious problem, and I don't see them recovering from another early double-digit deficit. WVU makes a push in the second half, but ultimately falls short.

West Virginia's road woes continue.

Christopher Hall: Cincinnati 68, West Virginia 67

West Virginia already knocked off Cincinnati earlier this season, needing a desperate three-pointer from Treysen Eaglestaff in the final minute to escape with a 62-60 win. That victory sparked what became the Mountaineers’ best stretch of basketball this season, highlighted by a win over Kansas - a Jayhawks team that hasn’t lost since.

Cincinnati, meanwhile, appeared to be finding its footing around the same time. The Bearcats dropped a one-point decision on the road to a then-ranked UCF squad before stringing together back-to-back wins, including a statement upset of Iowa State. Cincinnati also took down Baylor at home last week.

Since the teams last met, the difference has largely come down to road performance. Cincinnati went 0–2 on its most recent road trip, while West Virginia has gone 4–3 overall in that span compared to the Bearcats’ 3–4 record, falling to Arizona, Houston, and a 14-point loss at Arizona State.

Statistically, the two programs are strikingly similar. Both have struggled to generate consistent offense while leaning heavily on their defenses, ranking in the top half of the league in most defensive categories and near the bottom offensively.

West Virginia appears to have hit another wall, and while the extra day between games could help the Mountaineers reset, the road has not been kind to them this season. Although WVU has won two of its last three trips to Cincinnati, this feels like a moment where the Bearcats are eager for payback and will likely flip the script at home and edge out a tight one, 68–67.

Schuyler Callihan: Cincinnati 63, West Virginia 58

Christopher Hall: Cincinnati 68, West Virginia 67

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