Arizona vs. West Virginia prediction, pick, odds, spread: No. 1 Wildcats face Mountaineers in Big 12 clash
Arizona will look to keep its undefeated season alive against WVU on Saturday
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3 min read
The second leg of a Saturday tripleheader on CBS will feature a matchup between No. 1 Arizona and West Virginia. The Wildcats head into the weekend as one of three teams in Division I basketball that have yet to suffer a loss. The Wildcats have held the top spot in the AP Top 25 poll for seven consecutive weeks.
Arizona is coming off a 77-51 win over Cincinnati to improve to 19-0 overall and 6-0 in Big 12 play. Arizona and Houston (5-0) are the only teams in the conference that have yet to suffer a loss. The Wildcats only face the Cougars once this season (Feb. 21) on the road.
West Virginia improved to 13-6 with a 75-63 win over Arizona State. The Mountaineers have won four of their last five games, which includes a win at home over Kansas. This weekend will mark the fourth Top 25 opponent WVU has played this season. West Virginia is 1-2 thus far, with losses coming against Iowa State and Houston.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the Big 12 showdown.
Where to watch Arizona vs. West Virginia live
Date: Saturday, Jan. 24 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: McKale Memorial Center -- Tucson, Arizona
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App
Streaming on Paramount+ Premium
Arizona vs. West Virginia: Need to know
Arizona's dynamic duo: The Wildcats have the luxury of having not one, but two of the best first-year players in the sport. That would be Koa Peat and Brayden Burries. Peat has one of the best debuts in college basketball history against reigning national champion Florida earlier this season when he scored 30 points. Peat has started all 19 games for the Wildcats. As for Burries, he has played well the last two months after a slow start. He is averaging 14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds and has been a major reason why the Wildcats still have yet to suffer a loss. His best showing came against Kansas State earlier this month when he finished with 28 points and nine rebounds.
Big opportunity for WVU: The Mountaineers have a chance to shake up college basketball this weekend with a win. However, recent history suggests WVU hasn't performed well against ranked teams. WVU has lost five consecutive games (including 16 of 17) on the road against a ranked opponent. The last win against a ranked team on the road came against Kansas on Dec. 31, 2024. The Mountaineers are 1-6 away from home and are averaging just 67.3 points per game in that stretch.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd has fueled a historic start: Arizona is on the verge of its best start to the season in 12 years. During the 2013-14 campaign, the Wildcats got off to a 21-0 start. Currently, Arizona is riding a 19-game win streak, which is the third-longest active streak in the sport. With a win this weekend, Arizona can clinch another 20-win season under Lloyd. That would mark the fifth consecutive 20-win season under his watch. No other Arizona coach has started his tenure with more seasons with at least 20 wins. Of course, the Wildcats have much loftier goals, but Lloyd has been one of the best and most consistent coaches in the sport since arriving from Gonzaga.
Arizona vs. West Virginia prediction, picks
West Virginia has played well since the calendar flipped to 2026. Outside of losing to Iowa State and Houston -- two of the best teams in the nation -- WVU has shown improvement. I think the Mountaineers keep this game within 10 in the second half and cover the spread. If WVU can slow down Arizona's lethal offense that ranks No. 7 in scoring (89.9 points per game), it will have a chance to make it interesting. Pick: West Virginia +17.5
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