West Virginia Mountaineers vs Cincinnati Bearcats Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 02/05/26

The line says it all. The Bearcats are playing .500 basketball while the Mountaineers are sitting at 14-8. And yet, the Cats are a mid-range favorite. West Virginia owns the better overall résumé, but this number is really about where the game is played and how each team is affected by geography. West Virginia has won one game on the road this season, and they are 1-3 SU outside of Morgantown in conference play. The Bearcats’ home profile has been steadier: they’ve lost only one game at Fifth Third Arena throughout the season. Home court is key here.

West Virginia’s volatility shows up most on the road and against pace/pressure. The Mountaineers have mixed in a road win at Arizona State with a disastrous 35-point loss at Arizona (88-53). The latter is no black mark by any means since the Wildcats are the best team in the country. The problem is how they lost and did not compete, at all. Cincinnati, meanwhile, has toppled Iowa State (who was flirting with a top-three ranking at one point in the polls), Baylor, and Colorado. And the one loss we brought up? A hard-fought defeat against Houston, who is short-listed among favorites to make a deep run in March. This is a matter of the Mountaineers punching above their weight in a hostile setting and the Bearcats taking full advantage. Lay the points and don’t look back.

West Virginia vs Cincinnati prediction: Cincinnati Bearcats -5.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -6.

Bet like a Caesar with this AMAZING new customer offer from Caesars Sportsbook. If you bet just $1, you’ll receive DOUBLE YOUR WINNINGS on your next 20 bets! Become a Caesars member 👥 using the Caesars promo code PWCONTENT20X, where you can bet on our WVU vs Cincinnati picks.