Baylor Bears (18-6) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (8-16)
February 17, 2024 6:00 pm EDT
The Line: West Virginia Mountaineers +8; Over/Under: +146.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Baylor Bears and the West Virginia Mountaineers meet in college basketball action from the WVU Coliseum on Saturday. Who comes out on top in this Big 12 showdown? Let’s dive in and find out with our Baylor vs. West Virginia Prediction.
Baylor Team Preview
The Baylor Bears come into this one looking to build on a 79-62 win over Oklahoma in their last matchup. Ja’Kobe Walter leads the Bears in scoring with 14.1 PPG along with 4.7 RPG while Jalen Bridges has 10.8 PPG with 4.6 RPG. RayJ Dennis has 13.2 PPG with a team-high 6.5 APG to lead the Bears in the assist department as well as logging 3.9 RPG while Langston Love has 11.5 PPG. Yves Missi has 11 PPG with 5.7 RPG to lead the Bears on the glass while Jayden Nunn has 10.5 PPG as well, rounding out the group of double-digit scorers for Baylor up to this point in the year. As a team, Baylor is averaging 82.6 PPG on 49.1% shooting from the field, 40.3% from three and 72.7% from the foul line this season.
West Virginia Team Preview
The West Virginia Mountaineers come into this one looking to snap a three-game losing streak after an 81-65 loss to TCU last time out. RaeQuan Battle leads the Mountaineers with 15.6 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 14 games so far while Jesse Edwards has 14.4 PPG with a team-high 8.1 RPG in 15 games. Quinn Slazinski has 13 PPG with 4.3 RPG while Kerr Kriisa has 11.3 PPG and 4.5 APG in 15 games so far this season. Noah Farrakhan also has 9.6 PPG with 3.9 RPG as well this season. As a team, West Virginia is averaging 67.9 PPG on 41.3% shooting from the field, 32.8% from three and 72% from the foul line this season.
Baylor vs. West Virginia Prediction
I’m on West Virginia here. The Mountaineers have not been good for much of this season, but if there’s one thing they can claim it’s that they’ve at least played well at home with wins over teams like Cincinnati and Kansas. Baylor is one of the Big 12’s best, but they haven’t been as sharp on the road and they’re in a sleepy spot here with games against BYU and Houston on deck. I’ll take a stab at West Virginia and the points here.
