The West Virginia Mountaineers (5-8) seek a huge upset against the third-ranked Houston Cougars (13-0) on Saturday, January 6 at 2:00 PM ET at the Fertitta Center in Houston, Texas. The Cougars are heavily favored for victory with a point spread at -21.5 (-110).

The Mountaineers have lost three out of their last four games coming into this battle. Their previous game showed a 78-75 overtime defeat to the Ohio State Buckeyes, which put them back on the losing side after winning the game prior.

Quinn Slazinski is scoring 15.5 points per game and is connecting on 40.4 percent of his shots. He also makes 75.8 percent of his free throws, which will be important later in the game if it is close.

They are averaging 68.3 points per game and finding success at the basket at 41.1 percent of the time. They are moving the ball at a solid rate with 12.8 assists at a time.

Their defense is giving up 69.5 points per game to opposing teams, which is a slight negative difference in comparison to what they put up offensively. They are also obtaining 37.8 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and 3.8 steals a game.

The Cougars have successfully defeated all 13 opponents they have faced this far into the season. They recently took care of the Pennsylvania Quakers 81-42.

L.J. Cryer is putting up 16.9 points per matchup and shoots 42.5 percent from the field. He also makes 85.7 percent of his foul shots, which is going to be key for his success here.

The Cougars are averaging 75.9 points per game and making 43.9 percent of their shots on the floor. They make the ball to find the open man at 13.9 assists each game, which could be better.

Their defense has been outstanding so far, as they only allow 49.4 points each game from opposing teams. This will be heavily tested against tougher opponents soon, but for now it appears to be good against weak teams. They also chime in with 41.2 rebounds, 5.4 blocks, and 11.2 steals each game.

MyBookie has the point spread odds available for this showdown, with Houston Cougars as heavy 21.5 point favorites to win. According to market analysis, they have a 98.9 percent likelihood of winning this game.

The Cougars have been suffocating teams on defense, which has been a huge factor in their success. They should have no problem winning their 14^th and covering the spread.