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Baylor vs West Virginia Prediction and Odds: Bet Baylor to Get Back on Track

By Matt De Saro

The Baylor Bears are hoping to put last week's 0-2 slump behind them and beat Big 12 rivals West Virginia.
The Baylor Bears are hoping to put last week's 0-2 slump behind them and beat Big 12 rivals West Virginia. / Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
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The No. 5 Baylor Bears were knocked out of the top spot in the AP rankings after suffering two losses at home in the last week. The first was to No. 19 Texas Tech 65-62 and then to Oklahoma 61-54 over the weekend. The Bears are now 15-2 and a measly 3-2 in conference play. The Bears are desperate to gain some ground in the Big 12, making this a pivotal game for Baylor. 

The Bears had their worst start of the season against Oklahoma State on Saturday, missing 19 of their first 23 shots from the field. Baylor went down by double digits within the first few minutes of the game and trailed by as much as 18 at one point. It was the third time in a row that Oklahoma State has beaten Baylor. 

Meanwhile, the Mountaineers get to head back home after dropping a game to No. 9 Kansas 85-59 on Saturday. The score at halftime saw the Jayhawks up by two points but West Virginia's defense collapsed in the second half. The Mountaineers surrendered 52 [pots om the second half and were outscored by 24 points after the half. 

Here are the odds for this important Big 12 matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Baylor vs. West Virginia Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

  • Baylor -6.5 (-110)
  • West Virginia +6.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

  • Baylor NA
  • West Virginia NA

Total: 137.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Baylor vs. West Virginia Prediction and Pick

While the Bears had a really bad week, they are still a championship-level team that was undefeated up until six days ago.

The other thing to remember is that the Mountaineers have struggled this season against strong opponents. The Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks are two of the three ranked teams the Mountaineers have played this year and WVU lost to both. They were able to beat UConn and are 1-2 ATS against ranked teams.

This leaves me with very little interest in backing them against a much better Baylor team. The Bears have won 10 of their last 11 games on the road and four of their last five against the Mountaineers. Baylor is one of the best rebounding teams in the nation which is good considering how many shots West Virginia misses. The Mountaineers rank outside the top 225 teams in both two-point and three-point shooting percentages. 

A third straight loss for a recent No. 1 would be devastating and I think the Bears snap back after getting their bell rung last week. If this game was taking place last Monday the Bears would be closer to double-digit favorites and nothing, aside from the W/L record, has changed for either team. 

Pick: Baylor Bears -6.5

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