Baylor vs. West Virginia NCAAB Odds & Game Preview

Baylor vs. West Virginia NCAAB Odds & Game Preview

Written by on January 9, 2018

One of the things that makes sports so much fun to watch is the high level of unpredictability that we see night after night. If it’s the unpredictable that brings you back for more, then you are probably totally engrossed in what is going on in college basketball this season. There are no teams sitting with an unbeaten record right now, and it also appears that we don’t really have one standout team that looks like a sure championship winner, despite that the NCAAB odds have to indicate one at all time. There are a lot of very good teams still out there, and the West Virginia Mountaineers can certainly be counted among that group. They could well be contending for the #1 spot at the end of the season but will need to navigate what looks to be a rather tough Big 12 Conference to get there. The next game up for the Mountaineers is a home tilt against a Baylor Bears team that is going through a little bit of a rough patch, which is why they come in as the underdogs at +9.5. The Bears badly need a win but are going to have a tough time getting it in Morgantown against a Mountaineers team that is rolling right now.

Bears vs. Mountaineers NCAAB Odds & Game Preview

  • When: Tuesday, January 9 at 7 PM EST
  • Where: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown
  • TV: ESPN2
  • Radio: 1660 AM (Baylor) / 1170 AM (West Virginia)
  • Live Stream: Watch ESPN
  • NCAAB Odds: West Virginia Mountaineers -9.5 (Over/Under at 147.5)

Team Records

  • All: Baylor Bears 11-4 / West Virginia Mountaineers 14-1
  • Home: Baylor Bears 10-2 / West Virginia Mountaineers 10-1
  • Away: Baylor Bears 1-2 / West Virginia  Mountaineers 4-0
  • As Favorite: Baylor Bears 3-0 / West Virginia Mountaineers 10-1
  • As Underdog: Baylor Bears 1-4 / West Virginia Mountaineers 0-0
  • ATS: Baylor Bears 4-4 / West Virginia Mountaineers 6-5
  • Over/Under: Baylor Bears 2-6 / West Virginia Mountaineers 5-6

Can Oklahoma Cover NCAAB Spread Against Texas Tech?

Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)

  • Record: Baylor leads 6-4
  • Score: Baylor Bears 72.80 / West Virginia Mountaineers 70.80
  • Field Goal Percentage: Baylor Bears 46.53 / West Virginia Mountaineers 41.65
  • Rebounds: Baylor Bears 36.70 / West Virginia  Mountaineers 32.30
  • 3 Point Shots: Baylor Bears 58-160 / West Virginia Mountaineers 68-190
  • Steals: Baylor Bears 5.40 / West Virginia Mountaineers 7.00

Why consider the Bears NCAAB Odds?

The Baylor Bears are a very respectable 11-4 right now, but it has been conference play that has seen them slide out of the top 25. Baylor is just 1-2 in the Big 12 after taking back to back losses to Texas Tech and TCU, both of whom were ranked. They did bounce back with a win over the Texas Longhorns to get their first win in conference play, but those losses to ranked opponents are not like to have them coming into this one with a whole lot of confidence. What is perhaps more alarming than anything for the Bears is that they have now had 4 games against ranked opponents this season and have fallen short in all of them. They were also not very competitive in those games, save for a decent showing against TCU in an 81-78 loss. Baylor is not really lighting things up on either side of the court, scoring 80.1 PPG and giving up 67.5 PPG.

Team Statistics

Offense
  • Total Score: 80.07
  • Field Goal Percentage: 49.94
  • Three-Point Percentage: 37.33
  • Free Throw Percentage: 72.73
  • Total Rebounds: 39.20
Defense
  • Total Score: 67.47
  • Field Goal Percentage: 40.56
  • Three-Point Percentage: 32.77
  • Free Throw Percentage: 69.08
  • Total Rebounds: 31.33

Why consider the Mountaineers NCAAB Odds?

The West Virginia Mountaineers saw their season get off to the worst start possible with a loss to Texas A&M on opening night, but they managed to shake that loss off quite nicely and are now on a 14-game winning streak. Included in that run is a perfect 3-0 start to conference play, which has the, tied with Texas Tech at the top of the Big 12 in the very early going. West Virginia comes in as the favorite at the NCAAB Odds against Baylor. That opening night loss may have had some fans worried about how the Mountaineers might match up with other ranked teams, but they have played two more since then, winning both, including a solid 89-76 win over the Oklahoma Sooners in their last start. The Mountaineers have cracked the top 30 in scoring this season, averaging 84.5 PPH. On the defense side of the court, they are giving up 65.7 PPG.

Team Statistics

Offense
  • Total Score: 84.53
  • Field Goal Percentage: 44.00
  • Three-Point Percentage: 32.68
  • Free Throw Percentage: 74.72
  • Total Rebounds: 40.47
Defense
  • Total Score: 65.67
  • Field Goal Percentage: 39.95
  • Three-Point Percentage: 34.84
  • Free Throw Percentage: 69.75
  • Total Rebounds: 34.73

Latest Betting Trends for NCAAB

  • Baylor is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 games on the road
  • Baylor is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 6 of Baylor’s last 8 games when playing West Virginia
  • West Virginia is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Baylor
  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of West Virginia’s last 6 games when playing at home against Baylor

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The West Virginia Mountaineers have become something of a dominant force since losing on opening night, and I don’t see their current strong run coming to an end on Tuesday night. Score: Baylor Bears 65 – West Virginia Mountaineers 75