Score Predictions for West Virginia vs. Utah

The Mountaineers and Utes will link up inside Hope Coliseum Wednesday night for an 8:30 p.m. ET tip. The Big 12 really needs to do something about these late starts. I know it's really on the TV folks, but still.

Anyways...can West Virginia avoid the bad loss? Our predictions are in.

Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 67, Utah 61

Since the Mountaineers' double-digit road win over Arizona State, they haven't looked like a team that is capable of beating someone by double digits, largely because they don't score it enough. Before the win at UCF, West Virginia posted five straight games where they failed to reach 70, four of which they failed to break 60.

With the way Terrence Brown and Don McHenry can make shots, Utah can do more than just stick around in this game. The longer they hang around, the more pressure West Virginia starts to feel, which could lead to some guys pressing.

I'll take the Mountaineers, but this has the making of one of those games you walk away from doubting West Virginia's ability to win enough down the stretch.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 68, Utah 56

West Virginia continues to scrap for a postseason bid and welcomes a struggling Utah team on Wednesday night.

Utah is 1-11 in Big 12 Conference action and is dead last in the standings. The Utes' stats reflect their reality, ranking near the bottom of the league in every major statistical category during conference play.

Utah has struggled in its first two seasons in the Big 12, has endured a 10-year absence from the NCAA tournament, and has only recorded three 20-win seasons during that span.

The Utah athletic department opened its doors to private equity and is hoping to balance the scales in the new NIL Era, despite the multiple warnings to strike a deal with any private equity firm. Former football head coach Kyle Whittingham clearly didn’t like the plan and announced his retirement. Weeks later, Whittingham accepted the job at Michigan. Currently, Utah is the only University in the country to take that route.

What does this have to do with the game? Well, Utah is in shambles, and the money will do the program no good with an already set roster. Terrence Brown has been a bright spot, leading the team in scoring, averaging 20.4 points per game, which ranks fourth in the league, while Keanu Dawes’ 9.3 rebounds per game is fourth in the conference. Of note, former WVU forward James Okonkwo will return to Morgantown since transferring out of the program. He’s averaging 2.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

West Virginia is clearly eager to make the Big Dance after a really good win at UCF, and I expect the Mountaineers to keep the momentum going against a bad Utah club. Mountaineers roll 67-55.