Spread, Over/Under, & Predictions for West Virginia vs. Arizona

Here in just a few hours, the West Virginia Mountaineers will tussle with the No. 1 team in the country, the Arizona Wildcats.

Arizona is laying a big number, as you would expect. Can West Virginia cover? Or will they get blown out? Here are my picks.

Spread: Arizona -17.5

Prediction: West Virginia covers.

I'll be completely transparent with you here: I'm not confident in this pick whatsoever. I'm banking on West Virginia slowing things down, playing to their preferred pace, which will limit possessions. If both Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff are red-hot on the offensive end, then we should see the Mountaineers keep it respectable. Even if one of them is making shots, I like their chances to play competitively. Again, that's under the assumption they're able to slow things down. I'm well aware of how often Arizona blows teams out, but this is the best defensive team they've seen to date, so we'll give WVU the respect it deserves.

Over/Under: 144.5

Prediction: Over

West Virginia may be one of the better defensive teams in the country, but Arizona can really fill it up. Defensively, I expect this one to play out similarly to the Houston game, where they gave up 77. The Wildcats will likely end up somewhere in the high 70s, low 80s, meaning the Mountaineers just need to get into the 70s.

Tip is set for 2 p.m. ET on CBS. After the game, head over to our YouTube page (West Virginia On SI) for the Mountaineer Postgame Show, where we'll take a look at the final numbers, talk about the positives, what needs to improve, and much more.

Note: Our predictions are not to be taken as gambling advice. These predictions are simply to give an opinion on what we think will happen in this week's game.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Spread: Arizona -17.5

Over/Under: 144.5

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